Montego Bay Bars - GF/DF/EF

[cruelshoes]

A delicious way to sneak some fiber (from oats and dates) into your kids. Really great for a lunchbox treat. Would probably freeze well, but they never last long enough in our house. Modified from my Betty Crocker Cooky Book.

1 1/2 cup cut up dates
2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cups water
1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate - see note
1/3 cup DF margarine (or butter)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup brown rice flour mix - see note
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup certified GF rolled oats
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the chopped dates, white sugar and water in small sauce pan on low heat until thickened and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Cool. If the dates are still lumpy, process in your food processor until smooth.

Cream butter or margarine and brown sugar. Add flour mix, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, oats and walnuts. Mix until combined.

Well grease an 8x8 pan. Press half of dough in bottom of pan. Spread evenly with date mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on the top and press down lightly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or til golden brown. Cut into squares. Yield - 20 bars

Notes

Brown rice flour mix - 2 parts brown rice flour / 2/3 part potato starch / 1/3 part tapioca flour

Don't have unsweetened chocolate? Substitute with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon shortening or cooking oil
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-Colleen

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[GFPolarBear]

Hmm, that looks good!

I'm always looking for something I can throw into my GF breakfast rotation that I can fix ahead and grab as I dash out the door - this looks like it might fit that bill quite well.

Thanks!

[celiacmaine-iac]

Colleen- just double checking... I'm assuming your "EF" means egg-free since I don't see any eggs in the recipe. I'll post it over on the abbreviations thread if correct. Recipe sounds great BTW.
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Steph

[cruelshoes]

Yes - EF = egg free. As I was making it I was thinking that it was free of quite a few things so I decided to label it that way. Sorry if I was unclear.
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-Colleen

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