Daring bakers-Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

This month the daring bakers went gluten free, which is a great thing as I've not experimented much with the various flours that are around for gluten free baking.


I didnt manage to get all the different flours involved this time, I got a baking mix which had a similar combination of flours(bob's red mill gluten free baking mix). Since I dont normally use them in my regular baking it seemed like a bit of a waste. The mix worked very well, I replaced the separate flours and the baking powder with it.

The mixture was very odd in consistency, and pretty runny, so I decided to add 1/2 cup oat bran. I was very happy with this addition, and I really liked the flavor in the bars. It should be noted that some celiacs dont eat oats, and it is important to look for a gluten free product.



These delicious graham crackers were mixed with a combination of cooca, butter, almonds and coconut for a decadent base, a custard/buttercream layer was added, followed by delicious chocolate. These were cut into small squares and devoured by my bookclub. I was in a hurry, so they were a little messy, not the perfect squares that other daring bakers created. An overnight rest in the fridge is really crucial.



I dont know that I'll try this recipe again, its a little rich, but it was an interesting window into the world of gluten free baking, and into a delicious little canadian treat!

Visit the daring kitchen for a recipe and links to other daring bakers, or even try getting involved in the daring bakers yourself!