Chocolate-Glazed Fruit Bars

These have a sweet and sticky fruitiness with a pleasing crunch, too. They also look pretty. Press them very, very firmly into the pan to ensure they hold together well enough to cut easily -- oh, and cut them small, since the dates make them quite sweet.

1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped apricots
1/4 cup sliced almonds
4 cups gluten-free corn flakes, crushed to 1 1/2 cups
3/4 cup chocolate chips

In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter with sugar.

Add chopped dates, cook, and stir for 5 minutes, until thoroughly combined and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in raisins, apricots, almonds, and cereal. Press into a greased 9” square pan. Chill until set.

Melt chocolate chips and spread over squares. Chill again until ready to cut into squares.

Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce

This famous recipe from a local swanky eatery at Dalvay-by-the-Sea has been published in Gourmet magazine and is a favourite at PEI supper parties. It is fruity and sticky enough to adapt well to gluten-free flour. Make sure to serve it warm.

1 3/4 cups packed pitted dates (about 10 oz)
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup potato starch flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 rounded tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375F and butter and rice-flour an 8” square baking pan, knocking out excess rice flour.

Coarsely chop dates and simmer with water in a saucepan, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let mixture stand 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl sift together flours and starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, ginger, and salt.

In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating very well after each addition. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Fold in date mixture and until just combined well. (This bit will be a bit sticky with gluten-free flours. Be patient and steadfast.)

Pour batter into prepared pan and set pan in a larger baking pan. Add enough hot water to larger pan to reach halfway up sides of smaller pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove smaller pan from water bath and cool pudding on a rack. Serve warm with toffee sauce.

Toffee Sauce:
7/8 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy saucepan over moderate heat melt butter. Add brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally; then stir in cream and vanilla. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.