Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Squares

Mmm... Rice crisps with chocolate and peanut butter, and one cup of sunflower seeds to reduce the guilt by a smidgen. But not too much. Try other nut butters or other nuts and seeds if you like, or substitute cornflakes for some or all of the crispy rice cereal.

1 box gluten free crispy rice cereal (about 7 cups)
1 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup unsweetened smooth organic peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan.

In a large bowl, combine crispy rice cereal and seeds. Stir lightly.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips until well blended and chocolate is melted.

Stir peanut-butter mixture into cereal and seeds. Press into the prepared pan and allow to cool before cutting into small, rich squares.

Ginger Crunch Squares

Here is another recipe adapted from a classic New Zealand baking recipe. It makes sixteen buttery, gingery, crunchy cookies. I might fiddle with this recipe a bit more another time to perfect the texture, but this adaptation was certainly crunchy and good, a thin ginger shortbread with a chewy glaze. Next time, I might like a teensy bit of chewiness in the bottom layer, though. Maybe some almond flour to replace some of the sweet rice flour? Maybe a bit of brown sugar to make it softer and more molasses-y?

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 heaping tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp (scant) baking powder
3/4 tsp ginger
6 tbsp cold butter

Icing:
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp golden syrup
2 tsp ginger
1/3 cup icing sugar

Line an 8x8" metal baking tin with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flours, xanthan, baking powder, and ginger. Cut in 6 tbsp butter finely. Pat crumbs gently into lined baking tin. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter with golden syrup and ginger. When melted, stir in icing sugar until smooth.

Spread warm icing over squares while hot. Spread evenly. Allow to cool about 30 minutes before cutting into 16 squares with a long, thin-bladed serrated knife.

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.

Two-Bite Brownies

These are rich and chocolatey and slightly chewy. Yummm. You could add up to 1 cup of chopped walnuts or more chocolate chips to stretch the batter to make more brownies. Whatever you do, be sure not to overcook the brownies. If you have great willpower, you can eat these brownies in four bites, but no one will fault you for eating them in just one bite.

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp amaranth flour
1 tbsp potato starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Lightly grease and rice-flour 18 tartlet tins (more if you have added extras to the batter).
Preheat the oven to 325F.

Whisk flour, starch, xanthan, and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place butter and cocoa in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Allow to cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in dry ingredients, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Spoon into prepared tartlet tins, to about 2/3ish full.

Bake for 20 minutes, until set but moist in the centre. Allow to cool five minutes in the pan, then turn out on a rack to cool completely, or until their scent overcomes your willpower.

Makes 18 two-bite brownies.

Date Squares

Another recipe for an oat-based treat I used to enjoy before celiac disease. The recipe has been restored to me since I ordered uncontaminated oatmeal from Cream Hill Estates. Be sure to confirm that your celiac friends can tolerate pure oats before serving; some can't.

Filling:
500 g pitted dates
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup hot water

Base/Topping:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups uncontaminated oats

Mix dates, brown sugar, and hot water in a saucepan and cook on top of the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the dates are soft. Set aside to cool.

Sift flours, starches, xanthan gum, soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter to make fine crumbs. Blend in brown sugar and rolled oats. Mix well to resemble coarse crumbs.

Press half the oat mixture into well-greased 9x13” pan. Cover with date filling and top with crumbles of the remainder of the oat mixture. Pressing gently and evenly to make sure topping is well distributed (it will puff and spread a bit, but not much, as it bakes). Bake at 325F for 30 to 35 minutes, until topping is puffed and golden.

Cut in squares in the pan while hot; cool in the pan before serving.