Gluten Free Fruitcake Squares

Ingredients

Decadent treats require decadent ingredients.

• Butter & sugar - The perfect combination to make anything called a treat.

• EGFG gluten free flour blend (sweet rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, millet flour) - It's always a win when an old recipe can be remade with my everyday flour blend. That makes this recipe a win!

• Xanthan gum - This is the glue that adds structure to gluten free baking. It's expensive but used in tiny amounts. Just buy it!

• Candied mixed fruit & candied mixed peel - This is the fruit that goes into traditional fruitcake. Although my sister and I text each other about this every single year, it is found in the baking aisle during the holiday season.

• Sweetened condensed milk - The magic ingredient (it says so on the label) that makes decadent treats. I only use it for holiday recipes and it has always been gluten free.

• Sliced almonds - They lend a crunch to these squares and a pleasant toasted taste.

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Instructions

There are a few instructions I had to change from the gluten filled version to make this recipe work. If you were a baker before you started gluten-free, don't miss these adjustments.

• Move up the oven rack to avoid over browning on the bottom.
• Add xanthan for structure.
• Prebake the crust slightly so it can hold up the toppings.

Substitutions

EGFG gluten free flour blend - If for any reason you can't use my everyday blend, work at finding a substitute. It takes trial and error but once you have a reliable blend, that works in most of your baking, it's a game changer. Just don't try and make it work in every recipe.

Xanthan gum - The best substitute for xanthan is guar gum. Use it in equal amounts in any recipe calling for xanthan gum.

Sliced Almonds - Substitute with slivered almonds if you like. Either way the almonds make it difficult to cut into perfect squares, but the taste is important to this recipe.

Variations

This is a holiday recipe I've been making for decades. I don't have any variations for it.

If you have a favourite crust recipe for other squares you could try that as a variation. Experi-baking, as podcaster Sue Jennett calls it, takes time and money. If you have the right mindset, and people waiting to eat your almost perfect baking, it's worth the effort in the long run.

Get The Tools

The most common sizes for baking are 8-inch square, 9-inch square and a 9 x 13-inch pan. Metal pans with straight sides and sharp corners are best for baking. To confirm the size of the pans you have flip them upside down and it should be stamped in the bottom of the pan.

Use the right pan for every recipe. An extra inch either way will affect almost any recipe. Using a glass pan instead of a metal one will affect the cooking time. There are many variables in baking so use the tips and tricks as you go and expect great results.

Storage

Pack these squares into single layer holiday tins for giving or taking to any event. Keep them in the fridge or in Canada, outside on the deck. I don't intentionally freeze them but it's okay if they do. They keep for 2 weeks but I've had a few leftovers many days after that.