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A must-have for springtime - lemon bars! 

This recipe is adapted from the one I used before going gluten-free. It just made sense to stick with a tried-and-true recipe and make the few minor adjustments necessary to convert it to a gluten- and dairy-free version.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free LEMON BARS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

For the crust:
In stand mixer, combine the following and mix on low speed until a ball of dough is formed:
1/2 cup buttery spread, such as Earth Balance (or butter if you can have dairy)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups gluten-free flour blend (Use your favorite store-bought blend, OR Click here for one of my blends.)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Press dough for the crust into prepared pan, pressing up sides of pan 1/2-inch.
Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:
In stand mixer, combine the following and mix on medium speed until fully blended - do not overmix.:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (I use confectioner's sugar made with tapioca flour instead of cornstarch, but either would work.)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pour filling over crust, and bake bars for 35-40 minutes, until set on top, but not browned. Cool completely,then cut into bars. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.
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Can this little square really get you off to a good start in the morning? Yes! With high protein millet and quinoa, these bars are the perfect way to fuel up before work or school, or to re-fuel in the afternoon. And the natural sweetness of honey and dried fruits make them appealing to kids of all ages!

Did I mention how flexible the recipe is? Use your own combo of dried fruits, add nuts or seeds if you like. And if you do not have a nut allergy, you can sub the sunflower seed butter that I use with almond or other nut butters for a totally different taste profile. And these bars are so easy to make that you can whip up several varieties, and forget about boring pre-packaged bars for good!

Protein Packed Granola Bars

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8" square baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the following:
1 cup GF oats
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup currants or raisins
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the following:
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup honey
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spoon the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until no dry areas remain. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, top with a piece of wax paper just a bit larger than the baking dish, and press the mixture very firmly into the dish, packing it so that no air pockets exist.

Remove wax paper (that was just to keep your hands clean!), bake bars for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan until completely cool. (If you do not wait, they will fall apart!) Cut into squares. Wrap individually in clear wrap for future snacking!

This recipe is linked to Simply Sugar & Gluten Free Sllightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Gluten Free Wednesdays at The Gluten Free Homemaker.




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Date Filled Bars 01/14/2011
 
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Oddly, this recipe for Date Filled Bars began with thoughts of figs. Fig Newtons, actually. You know those little rectangular cookies that claim to be "fruit and cake"? I miss them. A lot. It is not as if I kept them on hand in my pantry or cookie jar, but if I wanted a Newton, one could easily be had. And this is not something I had ever considered making - some things are just better left to the pros. But I recently made a fig-date conserve to serve alongside gluten-free biscuits we were having for "brinner", and I had just a small amount remaining in the jar in my fridge. And that is when I thought of how much I'd love to have a Fig Newton. A gluten-laden, forbidden Newton. Unfortunately, figs are out of season, and I had no dried figs on hand (those went into the conserve that started this chain reaction of thought). But I always have an ample supply of dates in my pantry - 2 whole dates are often my dessert after a meal - so I thought of a date filling - you know, cook them down with a bit of liquid until they are soft and thick, then pair that mixture with a delicious cookie-like crust on top and bottom. Sure, I know it's a far cry from a store-bought gluten-laden Newton, but by this point, the craving had passed, anyway. I was over it...but since I had dates and was snowed in, I figured it couldn't hurt to make a date filled treat, so here it is...Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups chopped dates
1 cup water
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 white rice flour
1 cup cinnamon GF granola (you can substitute certified GF oats here if you do not have granola
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)  (I use Camino Cuisine's organic fair trade brown sugar, which has a superior taste - highly recommend it!)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance (R) buttery spread (I use soy-free)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 x 8-inch square baking dish.

Prepare the date filling in advance, as you will need some time for this mixture to cool and thicken. Place dates and water in a saucepan and cook (do not boil) over medium heat, cooking and stirring occassionally until dates are soft and the mixture begins to thicken. This will take approximately 15 minutes. When the date mixture is thickened, remove from heat and set aside to cool to slightly warm. I transfer my date filling to a mixing bowl to get it out of the hot saucepan so that it will cool more quickly. Either way is fine.

While the date mixture cools, prepare the crust by combining the flours, starch, granola (or oats), sugar, cinnamon, soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir this mixture with a whisk to blend. Add the Earth Balance to the mixture in small scoops (approximately 1 Tablespoon each), then cut it in with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Press half of the mixture into your prepared pan, then top with the cooled date filling. Top with the other half of the crust mixture, gently pressing into the filling.

Bake the bars until the edges are golden - approximately 35 minutes. Cool completey in pan, then cut into bars to serve.
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Holding On

I cannot recall a summer in recent years that soared in with such a blazing heat as this summer has. In the past weeks of 90º+ temps, I have come to cringe when I see my oven. Dinners have become steamed veggies, grilled meats, and I have produced a frozen confection for dessert more often than not, even lingering a moment in the frosty air in front of the open freezer door. And still, as autumn shadows the next corner, I want to hold on, to the flavors, at least, of this blistering season. So it is that I arise early, before the sun pulls up the shade on this day, and I bake. I bake the tropical flavors that I associate with summer – mango, lime, coconut – into a perfectly moist little bar to serve up after the kitchen has cooled and a tall clinking glass of iced tea is the order of the day. Perhaps I’ll put a little bite of summer in my freezer and pluck it out just when winter hits a bit too hard with its chill. Enjoy!

Mango Coconut Bars
Mix the following 3 ingredients in small bowl for your “egg” and set aside.
1 t. baking powder
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice (could use vinegar or lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand)
1 T. water

¾ cup pureed mango (frozen works well – thaw and process until the consistency of applesauce)
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 T. light olive oil
1 t. vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ t. ginger
¼ t. salt
1/3 c. grated unsweetened coconut
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 1/3 cup gluten-free flour blend

Topping:
½ t. light olive oil
2 T. light brown sugar loosely packed
½ T. unsweetened grated coconut
½ t. freshly grated lime zest

Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly oil or spray an 8x8-inch square baking dish; set aside.
 
Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl until the oil is evenly blended into the sugar (using fingers works well). Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, lime juice, and water for the “egg”. If you prefer, use ¼ c. egg substitute, 1 egg, or an equivalent amount of egg replacer. Set this aside.

 In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mango, sugar, oil, vanilla, spices, and salt. Stir until mixed well. Add in your choice of egg product or replacement. 

Add coconut, baking powder, and flour, and stir until completely moistened. Spoon into your prepared baking dish, and sprinkle topping evenly over the top of the batter and bake at 375º for approximately 25 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. These are very moist bars, so are dense, with a texture reminiscent of a brownie, so be sure not to over bake.
This post is linked to Real Sustenance Seasonal Sundays.
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