Chocolate, Apricot & Pistachio Cookie Bars - Gluten Free & Dairy Free

If you're looking for an easy, layered bar cookie, then this is the one for you. We took a recipe we like that's filled with apricots and pistachios, and then we adapted it to be gluten free and dairy free. It has all the things you expect from a great dessert: chocolate, sugar, and tons of flavor.

Taste Test Kitchen

Recently we saw an article about cassava flour, which comes from the cassava (or yuca) root. It seems like a new favorite among gluten free bakers. Unlike the usual flour blends and additions like xanthan gum, you can use cassava flour one-for-one to wheat flour. What!? If you're not falling on the floor or doing cartwheels right now, you must never have tried gluten free baking. Or you're just really good at it.

So, when we heard about cassava flour, we had to try it. How'd it go? Well, the taste was great, no grainy texture, and a simple swap for the regular flour was just right. It was easy to work with in this basic cookie crust, and we're curious to try it in more recipes.

There's an extra bonus to cassava flour: it's a grain-free flour. We had to ask, though, if it's so easy to bake with, why have bakers gone to so much trouble with other blends and substitutions? The biggest drawback we can see is that, like most gluten free flours, cassava flour is high in carbs and calories. Just be aware and allow yourself a reasonable portion size. The one other downside is that it's not cheap. Perhaps as it becomes more widely used, cassava flour will come down in price. Sure hope so, because it's our new go-to for gluten free baking.

Can't wait to try some more recipes and share them with you. 

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Chocolate, Apricot & Pistachio Bars - Gluten Free & Dairy Free

by Burnt Toast Food Blog June-15-2018

Apricot, chocolate and pistachios top this chewy, oatmeal cookie bar. You’ll never know these are gluten and dairy free.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cassava flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 ¼ cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegan margarine
• 1 cup, chopped shelled natural (not dyed) pistachios
• 1/2 cup, diced dried apricots, unsulfured
• 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, dairy free
• 10 oz. apricot 100% fruit spread

Instructions

Heat oven to 325° – rack in center of oven. 1. In large bowl, mix on low speed until well combined – cassava flour, almond flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. 2. Cut chilled margarine into ½ inch cubes. Add to the flour mixture and beat on medium until margarine is mostly blended and the batter begins to pull together, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pistachios. 3. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the mixture and firmly press the rest into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. 4. Stir the dried apricots and chocolate chips into the reserved mixture. 5. Spread the apricot preserves evenly over the cookie base leaving a 1/8-inch border around the edge. Crumble the reserved mixture over the top. 6. Return to the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes until lightly browned and the fruit filling bubbles. 7. Let cool completely. Slice into 18 bars, or smaller if preferred. Refrigerate any leftovers. Notes: - Usually unsulfured dried apricots need to soak in warm water for 15 minutes so they become easier to chop and incorporate into the mixture. - For dairy free dark chocolate chips, we like the Guittard brand.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour 55 mins Yield: 18 bars