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Cherry Berry Squares - Gluten Free



I have a question ,  If sweet is bad why is 'sweet' sooooo   sweet?  
This is my husband's favorite square with an explosion of flavor that makes people ask .. "What's in here?"
This square is sweet but not too sweet with a light crumb base and optional icing.


BASE

  • 1/2  cup millet flour 
  • 1/4 cup white bean (or chick pea) flour 
  • 1/4 cup brown rice flour 
  • 1/3 cup arrowroot starch/flour 
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum 
  • 1/4 tsp salt 
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
  • 1/2 cup melted butter 
  1. Mix dry ingredients for the base. 
  2. Melt butter and using pastry blender mix melted butter into dry ingredients until evenly crumbled. 
  3. Press crumbs into a 9x9" baking pan 
  4. Bake for 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove from oven. (no need to cool)  
FILLING 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
  • 1 slightly rounded tbsp sweet rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder 
  • 1 tsp vanilla 
  • 3/4 cup maraschino cherries cut in halves or quarters (tip - I cut them on folded paper towelling to make sure they are well drained) 
  • 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries -- cherry flavored 
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts 
  1. Beat eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder  and vanilla together until smooth and light. 
  2. Stir in fruit and nuts. 
  3. Pour over crumb base and return to oven for another 25 minutes. 
OPTIONAL ICING 
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
  • 1/4 cup butter 
  • 2 tbsp milk or cream 
  •  1/2 tsp vanilla 
  • 1 cup icing sugar 
  1. Put sugar, butter and milk in sauce pan. 
  2. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 45 seconds. 
  3. Add icing sugar and stir until perfectly smooth. 
  4. Spread over warm squares and smooth top.   Because filling tends to have a crumbly top spread with care -  using the back of a plastic spoon heated in boiling water helps to smooth the icing. 
  5. Drizzle melted chocolate over icing if desired.   (I had some left over white chocolate  wafers from making my granddaughter cake pops and I added some dark chocolate to them -- hence the light colour of the drizzled chocolate in the photo squares.)
Note:  These squares are also nice without the icing ... just dust with icing sugar before serving.  
You may also personalize the fruit/nuts in the filling -   choose from candied fruit, raisins, coconut, dried berries  etc. 

8 comments:

  1. For me I don't think the icing is optional from the looks of yours!!! These look wonderful and sound sweetly delicious!

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  2. These look beautiful, Julie! Are these like the ones you brought to Lovella's? They sure were good!

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    Replies
    1. Yes.. they are ! but to these I added the icing.

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  3. These just sound so very tasty, but I don't need gluten free. Can you give us some tips on how to make them with All purpose flour? I am mostly taken by your phrase
    "explosion of flavor that makes people ask .. "What's in here?"

    Many thanks,

    Jo in MN

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    Replies
    1. If you want to make them with all purpose flour just substitute it for the flour amounts in the recipe and leave out the xanthan gum. Isn't always that simple but in this recipe it is.

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  4. My 7-year-old niece is allergic to wheat, dairy, corn, apples, and oranges. It's HARD to find recipes she can eat that accommodate all of that, and this one does (if you skip the icing). These sound AMAZING, and we have most of the ingredients already, but she doesn't like maraschino cherries. In the end product, do they taste like maraschino cherries, or do they change in the cooking process?

    If they still taste like maraschino cherries, do you have any suggestions for substitutions? Could I use preserves of some kind?

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    Replies
    1. You can pick and choose the dried fruit you add to these squares - but I doubt anyone would recognize the maraschino cherries - they do change in the cooking process and for me are what makes the square.

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    2. Thanks, Julie. That's what I thought. I might just not tell her. :)

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