I HATE to throw anything away! Ask anyone who knows me and they will back me up on this. When Kelly Brown and I had The Antique Oven, she used to hide the glass gallon jars from the pickles and mayo deep in the trash so I wouldn't find them. After all, you can't have too many glass jars! Not only did we make tea in them, you can store pasta, flour, sugar, left over soups, all kinds of things!! But alas, they thought having 8-10 would be enough... silly them... LOL

This year I am rethinking some of my food choices. One of the things I am trying to do is cut out more wheat and replace it with some of the gluten free options.

I had some oranges that needed to be used up (you knew I'd get back to the "don't throw anything away" part didn't you) and I wanted to experiment with gluten free flours. This is the result. Yes, there are a lot of different ingredients.... Gluten free baking is a tricky thing, plus I was trying to keep sugar and fats low, while boosting the fiber. These bars are very moist and spongy. I don’t like things very sweet. This recipe is on the edge for me. So I added a little lemon glaze… ahhh... just right! I hope you like them too.

Gluten Free Tropical Bars

½ cup butter, coconut oil or combination

2 eggs or equivalent egg replacer

¼ cup organic raw honey or pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla or lemon flavoring

1/3 cup almond or coconut milk

2 TB ground flax seed soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 5 minutes

1 mashed banana (approx. 1/2 cup)

2 cups ground orange (rinds and all-no seeds)

1 1/2 cup almond flour (extremely finely ground almonds)

1/3 cup coconut flour

½ cup sweet sorghum flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp guar gum

½ cup unsweetened coconut

Combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

Beat butter or coconut oil with eggs, honey and flavoring.

Add milk, flax seed mixture, orange and mashed banana, mixing well.

Stir in dry ingredients until well mixed.

Spread in a 9x13 greased pan.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched in center and tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool, then drizzle with glaze.

  

Citrus glaze: 1-2 cups powdered sugar. 2-4 TB lemon or lime juice to make a thin glaze.