A wonderful bar without oil or butter! When I read the ingredients in this recipe (in its gluten-full format), I wondered how this dessert would taste without any shortening. Even though I planned to take these bars to a potluck, and I’d never made them before, I took that risk. Fortunately, everyone raved about these delicate bars that had the perfect consistency.
 
Golden Raisin/Currant Bars
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup currants
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8” x 8” pan.
 
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and eggs until thickened and light yellow. Mix in lemon juice.
 
In a separate bowl, whisk sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and blend to combine. Then, fold in golden raisins and currants.
 
Pour into an 8” x 8” pan. Bake at 350 degrees, 27-33 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean (convection oven: 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes). Yield: 16 bars. Freezes well.
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A further endorsement came from a friend who does not have to eat gluten-free. She tried these bars and was ready to bake them for our next potluck. I told her she’d better check with me first or we both might bring the same food.
 
I’m especially happy with this new creation because my sister can’t eat butter, and I don’t like cooking with margarine. That normally means that when she visits, I must find a recipe with oil (such as zucchini bread or carrot cake). However, these Golden Raisin/Currant Bars are a relatively easy recipe that might be able to be adapted to give us both more options when we bake for one another. Maybe I should try leaving the shortening out of more of my baked goods.
 
 
 
 
 
 

I could live without candy. Don’t take my muffins, scones, or cookies, but you can have just about any candy on the planet—except for these Chocolate Raisin Delights. This is another recipe from my sister. And it was the go-to recipe for Christmas “baking” for years because it is so easy to make and tastes so good. Even if you’re not a big fan of raisins, you will be swayed by the delicious chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Raisin Delights

2 cups (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Enjoy-Life®)
1/2 cup dark corn (Karo®) syrup (grease measuring cup with oil first)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 cups raisins (preferably room temperature)

Spray a large cookie sheet lightly with oil. Melt chocolate with corn syrup using the warmer element of a stovetop, a double boiler, or a warmer tray. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Add raisins. Immediately, form candies using two teaspoons to make rough balls, placing on cookie sheet. As they will not spread, they can be very close but not touching. If two layers are needed, use plastic wrap between them.

Chill. Candies keep best with refrigeration but taste best closer to room temperature.

Yield: 5-6 dozen candies; can be frozen.

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For a number of years, I did not eat chocolate because I had been told to avoid it. So I got out of the habit of making this naturally gluten-free dessert. I have since added chocolate back into my diet. And this week, I promised my four-year-old grandson that we would make candy. This recipe is a perfect choice to make with a child because it involves measuring, mixing, and forming—and no one will care what shape their chocolate-raisin clusters take!

My grandson enjoyed watching the progress of the melting chocolate. He liked tasting the ingredients as we went along (which we did with a spoon so as not to contaminate our candy). These smell so good that it was hard to wait to try one. But we were patient and formed all the candy before we ate the last ones and licked the bowl. Then, we played games while the candies set up in the refrigerator. Of course, we each had to eat another one. We had fun placing them in bags to share with his family and babysitter. “What will you do with all the rest?” he wanted to know. I told him I’d save them for a party I’m giving, but he’ll never know if I eat a few more.