EASY Gluten Free Pear Tart

This is a delicious and simple gluten free pear tart. I adapted this recipe from the one found here, and was really surprised at how quick and easy it was to prepare. I will be making pear tarts more often!

Easy gluten free, yeast free pear tart

I used butter in this recipe, but I think you could substitute organic vegetable shortening to make it vegan. By the way, I have noticed that Spectrum Organics now has a butter flavor vegetable shortening, although I have not tried it. If you try it, please let me know how it worked for you.

Gluten Free Rustic Pear Tart
Makes one 9" tart

Ingredients

For the crust
3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
1 chia egg (1Tbsp chia mixed with 3Tbsp water, let sit about 5 minutes)
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the filling
2 large or 3 medium pears, slightly underripe
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Method

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Beat in the chia egg and gradually add the flour until dough comes together in a ball. Place the ball of dough in baking dish, and press it into shape with your fingers.

Refrigerate dough while you prepare filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Core pears and slice into thin strips. I used a mandoline, but using a knife is fine. I was going for a more rustic (and simple) tart, so I did not peel the pears.

Toss pears with 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice, and tapioca starch. Arrange pears in a fan-like array on the chilled dough. Keep layering pears until you run out of pears. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar to taste.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until edges of dough are just lightly golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Yum!

Trader Joe's

The first Trader Joe's in Florida opened here a little while back. Until yesterday, I had only stopped in very quickly for a specific item, checked out, and left. Yesterday, I finally took the time to wander up and down the aisles and check things out.

A few things I was happy to find:

Raw cashew pieces, $3.49 each (8 oz). That makes them $7/lb, which is less than what I have been purchasing them for in the bulk food bins at my local health food store- usually between $7.50-$8.50/lb.

I buy the pieces because I'm just going to soak and/or blend them, anyway. To compare- whole raw cashews are $15/lb in the bulk food bins at Whole Foods right now. Probably similar at the other health food stores. Why pay twice the price for something you are going to chop up anyway?

I also bought some roasted cashews, just for snacking. I thought it was great that the TJ's brand uses rice bran oil, rather than peanut, or sunflower/safflower, which is what one usually finds in roasted nuts.

My other exciting find is powdered sugar- with tapioca starch instead of corn starch! Yeah! This was $2.99/lb. I cannot recall the price of organic powdered sugar at Whole Foods, which is the only other place I've ever found powdered sugar without cornstarch. Good thing 16oz of powdered sugar lasts me a year : )

I noticed some good deals on organic produce- I purchased 5lbs of oranges for $3.49, but did not purchase any other produce, since I hope to make it to the Farmer's Market tomorrow.

Also worth mentioning- there were quite a few all-natural dog treats- chicken strips, etc- MADE IN THE USA for a very reasonable price. Bailey is pretty well stocked from Christmas, but I will try to remember Trader Joe's for doggie treats in the future.

How to make your own vanilla extract

There seems to be some confusion out there regarding extracts, and whether they are gluten (or other allergen) free.  Commercial vanilla extract is made using alcohol and vanilla beans. Any type of alcohol will work (which is great news for those of you who plan to follow this recipe and make your own at home). Commercial extracts do not need to list the type of alcohol used- but it is pretty safe to assume that the alcohol is either derived from gluten-containing grains, or corn (it is possible the alcohol used might come from sugarcane, potatoes, or another starchy substance but you cannot tell from the label on the extract).

Does the type of alcohol, or more accurately, the ingredient from which it is derived, matter? I'm not sure. Shauna of Gluten Free Girl, whose writing I love and research and advice I trust, reports in this post that while it was once believed that alcohol derived from wheat, barley or rye contained gluten, it is now believed that the gluten proteins are destroyed in the distilling process. Therefore, grain based alcohols and extracts would be considered gluten-free. Some brands of extract are certified gluten-free; whether this is because the distilling process has denatured the gluten protein, or because they use an alcohol derived from a non-gluten containing grain, such as corn, I'm not certain. For those with corn allergies, Cornallergens.com lists vanilla extract as an ingredient to avoid.

In the past, I have gotten sick from recipes using commercial vanilla extract (the quality stuff, no fillers or imitation vanilla) and when I substituted vanilla powder instead of extract, I tolerated the dish just fine. That led me to believe the vanilla extract was the culprit. That's when I started using vanilla beans or vanilla powder in all of my baking and smoothies- which I now actually prefer, since I find that the real vanilla bean has an even better flavor than extract... mmmmm.

However, there are some recipes where you may want the vanilla flavor, but you do not want little black specks from the vanilla bean in the final product. What to do?

Good news! It is very easy to make your own vanilla extract. It is also much less expensive to make it yourself than to buy quality commercially prepared vanilla extract. It is also pretty cool to be able to adjust the flavor of your homemade extracts to your needs and liking, simply by varying the type of alcohol or the variety of vanilla bean. Tip: if you are really into vanilla, order a sampler variety packand try different types of beans- I did this a while back and it has been a lot of fun pairing certain varieties with certain recipes.

If (like me) you are wondering which alcohols are derived from which ingredients, a beverage industry site explains this about different types of alcohols (spirits):

Generally speaking, spirits are classified by the fermented material that they are distilled from. Whiskies, Vodka, Gin and most types of Schnapps are made by distilling a kind of beer made from grain. Brandy is made from fermented grape juice, and Fruit Brandy is made from other fruits. Rum and Cane Spirits derive from fermented sugar cane juice or molasses. Tequila and Mezcal come from the fermented pulp of the agave plant. Fortified wines are hybrid beverages in that they are a blend of fermented wine and distilled spirits (usually Brandy).

Note the above is just a general guideline and somewhere to start. If you plan to make your own extracts, and wish to avoid a certain ingredient, be sure to research the ingredients in the specific brand of alcohol you plan to purchase. When I went searching for vodka, believing all vodkas were made from potatoes, I found nearly all of the vodkas at the (very large) liquor store I went to were actually derived from corn. Thanks to the very helpful manager, we did locate a vodka derived from grapes, which was a fantastic surprise. Grapes are even better than potatoes for me!

 

So, after all of that... here is how you make extract:

Super Easy, Allergy Friendly Vanilla Extract

Ingredients
1-2 vanilla beans of choice
1 cup alcohol of choice
Glass container

Method
Place the vanilla beans in a glass container, and pour enough alcohol in the container to cover the beans.

You do not need to use whole beans, you can use the bean after you've scraped out the inside for another recipe. This is a great way to make those expensive vanilla beans go even further.

I used Indian vanilla beans, because that is what I had on hand. I'd had these for a while, and they were getting a little stiff and not so good for scraping out for baking, so I just broke 2 whole beans in half and put them in the jar.

Keep the mixture in a cool dark place, and every week or so, give the jar a little shake to mix things around. The extract is ready in about 4-6 weeks, but it will continue to get darker and stronger over time.

Here is a comparison with a batch I made a few months ago:

Ideally, you would use a dark glass jar to protect from light, but I just used the paper bag that the vodka came in.

That's it! I will soon be trying this recipe with mint and other flavors to make more extracts. I would love to hear your experience with this, especially if you have tried other flavors.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Savory Caraway Quinoa Crackers

These savory crackers get a protein boost from the nutty-flavored quinoa.
Gluten free, vegan, egg and dairy free, corn free, sugar free, nut free, soy free.

Gluten Free Caraway Quinoa Crackers
Makes 2 baking sheets of crackers (actual number of crackers depends on how you cut them)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup of your favorite gluten free flour mix
1 tsp guar gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
5-6 Tbsp olive oil
1/3-1/2 cup water
Topping: Caraway seeds and coarse ground sea salt

Method
Preheat oven to 375F
Place the GF flour mix, guar gum, baking soda, and salt in the food processor. Process to combine.
Add quinoa, process to combine.
With processor running (I use the "dough" setting) add the olive oil, and then the water. Only add enough water for the dough to form a ball. Stop when you have a ball.
Divide the ball in half (it is easier to work in small batches).
Place one half of the dough ball on a piece of parchment paper. Lay another piece of parchment paper on top and roll flat, as thin as you can.
Remove top piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle dough with caraway seeds and sea salt, and put the parchment back on top. Gently roll, just enough to press the seeds into the dough.
Remove top piece of parchment, and use cookie cutters or knife to cut into desired shapes.
Slide entire sheet of parchment and dough onto baking sheet and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Let cool.
Repeat with second ball of dough.

Health benefits of quinoa, caraway, olive oil

I have an illustrated tutorial on the method in this post. I just wanted to post the ingredients for this recipe for my own reference because I keep forgetting to write down which one works. OK, now I am going to throw away my recipe page with notes scribbled all over it, and go with this one on the blog!

Gluten Free, Yeast Free Pizza Crust

Necessity is the mother of invention -Unknown

Ah, pizza. I must admit, I never really cared for pizza even before I was gluten/soy/dairy/everything free. Some of my friends tease that I have a tomato phobia- which may be true. I cannot stand tomato sauce. Nope. Not at all. Not spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, or ketchup. And definitely not raw tomatoes ((shudder)). Pesto sauce, alfredo sauce, or just plain ol' olive oil and garlic- mmm, now we're talking.

So, I was never really a pizza fan. However, my new found love for pizza started when I discovered Pizza Fusion. If you have a Pizza Fusion where you live, it is definitely worth checking out! It is a chain that started in Florida and has franchised up the East coast. They have an eco-friendly business philosophy (very cool). They also offer gluten-free and/or vegan pizzas. And real ingredients. Nothing frozen or from a can. They have regular pizza too, so it's a great place to go with friends, and everyone can get what they need or like. (and they offer an option for olive oil or pesto instead of tomato sauce, yay!)

Pizza Fusion's gluten-free pizza crust is delicious. But their GF crust (gluten, corn and soy-free!) uses canola oil and, of course, yeast- and those two ingredients make me pretty sick. I still eat it every once in a while- if I'm out running errands and absolutely starving- or if I'm just TOO exhausted to make a darn thing at home- but as much as I love it at that very moment, I pay for that choice for a couple of days afterwards.

So, I decided to figure out my own pizza crust.

The biggest challenge in pizza crust is not the gluten, it's the yeast. Fortunately, pizza crust doesn't have to rise too much; it's almost like a flatbread. The recipe below is what I've currently come up with to mimic the Pizza Fusion thin, crispy crust. It uses seltzer water in place of yeast for bubbles and rise. I think it's pretty good. I tried making it with and without a rolled edge, and I like the flat edge better; it produces a thin cracker/flatbread style crust.

And- it is easier to make than a yeasted crust!

*This recipe submitted to Wellness Weekend

Gluten Free, Yeast Free Pizza Crust
Makes two, 11" pizza crusts

Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour mix
2 tsp guar gum
2 tsp corn-free baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp organic raw cane sugar (you could probably use agave, or omit)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2/3- 1 cup seltzer water

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Combine dry ingredients in food processor fitted with the "S" blade.
With food processor running (I use the "dough" setting on mine), add the olive oil.
Slowly add the seltzer water until the dough becomes a ball. Stop processing when you get a ball.
Divide dough ball in half.
Place half of the dough ball on a non-stick work surface. I use a large, countertop SilPat for this. You can also flour your surface with a GF flour, but in my humble opinion, GF flour is too expensive to go spreading around on countertops ;)
Roll pizza dough into a large, flat circle.

Put dough on pizza pan or baking sheet, brush top with olive oil.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove:

Add sauce, cheese, and toppings, and return to oven:

Bake for another 12 minutes:

this is the flat edge I liked better

My toppings (use what you like/tolerate): I brush the crust (again) with olive oil and garlic, then added shredded mozzarella. Important: Buy a brick of cheese and shred it yourself- not only is this less expensive than buying pre-shredded cheese, but allergy note: pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch (corn, potato, or tapioca) to prevent it from clumping together in the bag.

For a vegan option, you could use soy/Daiya/nut/seed cheese, or no cheese at all.

I like kalamata olives and organic red onion on top. I don't often eat dairy, but it is the least of my reactions (symptoms are merely annoying rather than debilitating), so every once in a while (say, 3 or 4 times a year) I will, for something like this (sometimes a girl just gets hungry, y'know?!?)

I learned it is very difficult to take a good photo of pizza : ) 

Note: Since this makes two pizzas, I am curious if it might work to freeze the 2nd pizza crust after baking for the first 10 minutes, to use later. I did freeze pizza slices after they were made, and that worked great. But I didn't try freezing the "naked" dough, before adding the cheese and toppings. If you try that, I'd love to hear how it turns out.

Another idea would be to make smaller crusts for individual-size pizzas, since those would be easier to store in the freezer. Then on pizza night, everyone could make pizzas with their own toppings (great for allergies AND personal preferences :)

Gluten Free Pluot Coffee Cake

This recipe is heavily adapted from the Plum Coffee Cake Muffin recipe in The Allergen Free Baker's Handbook:


Among other changes, I adapted the recipe by using a different gluten free flour mix that does not use potato starch. I always substitute guar gum for xanthan gum since xanthan is derived from corn. I used fresh pluots in place of plums.

In my new effort to reduce sugar, I omitted the delicious crumb topping that Cybele Pascal's original recipe calls for in the book. By all means, use that topping if desired- I have made it before and it is delicious. But I was quite pleased that this simpler version also worked out very well. It is a very moist coffee cake, not too sweet, and just a hint of spice.

Gluten Free Pluot Coffee Cake (vegan)
Contains no gluten, corn, potato, coconut, dairy, eggs, soy, or refined sugar

Ingredients

• 3 cups of your preferred gluten free flour mix
• 3/4 teaspoon guar gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup light agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla powder
• 1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 cups organic unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup diced pluots (you could also use plums)

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Grease a 9" pie pan, or line with parchment paper (I use parchment paper). 
• Whisk dry ingredients: GF flour mix, guar gum, baking soda and sea salt in small bowl, or use the food processor to combine.
• In a large bowl, mix grapeseed oil and agave nectar using hand mixer. Add vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and applesauce, and mix until combined.
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.
• Fold in the diced pluots.
• Pour batter into greased or parchment lined dish. You might have some extra batter- you could fill a mini-muffin tin, or a baby loaf pan. I made two baby loaves. I ate them before I thought about taking a photo to show here on the blog. You'll just have to take my word for it :)
• Bake in center of oven for 25-30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before serving.

Enjoy!

This coffee cake is good warm from the oven, room temperature, and cold from the refrigerator. Yes, I tried it each of those ways. It's a tough job, testing foods in my kitchen <smile>. It also freezes well and defrosts easily, so this is a good recipe to make ahead and keep individual slices in the freezer for a quick and easy breakfast or snack.

More info on the nutritional benefit of: plums, cinnamon, apples, allspice
What is a pluot?
Another article about pluots

Gluten-free Black Currant Muffins

OK, I must admit, I am struggling with the "no sugar" effort... suddenly I'm craving something sweet all of the time. Which only reinforces that I need to lay off the sugar for a while.

I decided to experiment with a sugar-free muffin this morning- using whatever I have in my refrigerator, which isn't much these days. Summer time is slim picking at the Farmers' Market. But I have carrots... a lot of carrots. Perfect.

Since I was craving something sweet, I loaded this muffin with sweet things like carrots, apples and currants. In retrospect, I believe I was subconsciously thinking "carrot cake". I'm not sure if using agave exactly counts as sugar-free, but at least it's lower-glycemic than cane sugar. I think this no-sugar effort is going to be a work in progress.

These muffins are deliciously dark due to the black currant juice.

Gluten-free Black Currant Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups your favorite gluten free flour mix (I used this one)
• 1 teaspoon guar gum
• 2 teaspoons corn-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup black currant juice
• 1/4 cup white grape juice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup agave nectar (I think you could get away with less; perhaps 1/4 or 1/3cup)
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup dried currants (Note: while black currant juice appears to be actual black currants, be aware that what is sold as dried "currants" in the US is just a small variety of grape; usually called "zante currants") You could substitute raisins if you do not have dried currants.
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 apple, diced small (I used a gala, because that's what I had on hand, but I think a granny smith would be better)

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Line a muffin tin with unbleached parchment cups. I ran out of muffin liners, so I improvised my own from regular parchment paper:

The spice jars were just holding the parchment down in the cup until I could spoon batter in each cup.

In a large bowl, whisk together the GF flour mix, guar gum, corn-free baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together black currant juice, white grape juice, unsweetened applesauce, agave nectar, and grapeseed oil.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

The batter is purple from the black currant juice! It doesn't actually show up so well in the photo here, but it was quite a pretty shade of purple.

Fold in carrots, apple, currants, and pecans.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool approximately 10 minutes, and enjoy!

Those DIY parchment cups didn't turn out so badly:

The muffins are very sweet and very moist. The moistness doesn't quite come across in the photo, but think: carrot cake. Hmmm... maybe I should call this recipe "carrot cake muffins"?

I'm sure these will freeze well, so there will be a stash on hand!

More info on the nutrients in: black currants, carrots, cinnamon, zante currants, apples, and brown rice.

Gluten free, Dairy free Chocolate chip cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are gluten, soy, dairy and corn free. "Corn free?" you say, "But I don't put corn in my chocolate chip cookies!" Guess what? Do you know where corn might be hiding in your chocolate chip cookies? Baking powder, vanilla extract, and the chocolate chips. Yup! It's true! Also, xanthan gum, a common ingredient in gluten-free baking, is derived from corn. It can sneak up on you in ingredients you'd never expect!

Just a reminder to always double check your ingredients, and don't hesitate to contact the manufacturer if you aren't sure.

Gluten free, Dairy free Chocolate chip cookies
Makes approximately 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix (I used this one)
• 3/4 teaspoon guar gum
• 1 1/4 teaspoon corn-free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
• 3/4 vanilla bean, finely ground in a coffee grinder
• 2 egg whites (egg free/vegan option: use egg replacer, such as Ener-G Egg Replacer check ingredients to make sure it is safe for your needs)
• 1/2 cup gluten free, dairy free chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces (optional)

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat
• In a small bowl, or food processor, whisk GF flour mix, guar gum, baking powder, and sea salt
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites, oil, sugar, and vanilla bean
• Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches, and beat with mixer just until mixed.
• Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces, if using
• Drop rounded tablespoons of batter on cookie sheets. I'm not sure why, but these cookies didn't spread. Maybe because there's no shortening? So you'll want to flatten them out a little once you put them on the cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 12 minutes, or until edges are starting to brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets for about 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Enjoy with a cool glass of non-dairy milk!

Savory Kalamata Olive Bread

The idea for this recipe was inspired by this article in the New York Times.

Savory Kalamata Olive Bread
Gluten, corn, soy, nightshade, dairy and yeast free

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups gluten free flour mix
• 2 teaspoons corn free baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable bouillon* dissolved in 1/3 cup seltzer water (you could use regular water, or you could just use 1/3 cup vegetable broth*)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 scallions, chopped

*carefully check the ingredients in your vegetable broth or bouillon to be sure it is safe for your food allergies/sensitivities. if there is no commercial broth or bouillon that works for you, you can make your own and keep it on hand. for this recipe, you could probably substitute sea salt for the bouillon if you need to.

Method

• Line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk GF flour mix, baking powder, black pepper, and garlic clove.
• In a small bowl, whisk eggs, then whisk in olive oil, seltzer water and bouillon.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until mixed. Fold in olives, carrots, and scallions.
• Pour into loaf pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes, or until crust is golden and knife comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, remove from pan, let cool another 5 minutes.
• This recipe produces a crumbly savory bread with a golden crust and soft inside. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

The first time I made butter bean cookies, I thought they had a texture similar to a scone. So I experimented, and came up with this recipe.

Gluten Free Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten free flour mix
• 1 1/2 tsp corn-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp organic cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• Dash himalayan salt
• 1/2 cup canned white beans, liquid reserved (I used cannellini beans)
• 1/2 cup sucanat, or substitute brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen rasberries (I always recommend using organic berries)
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chunks ( I cheated and used Ghiardelli baking white chocolate- not ideal, since it contains dairy, but you could use this recipe for vegan white chocolate)

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat
• In the food processor, mix dry ingredients: GF flour mix, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla powder, and salt. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• In the food processor, mix white beans, sugar, applesauce, and approximately 1 Tbsp of bean liquid. Process until smooth.
• Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir to combine. If it is too dry, add a little more bean liquid.
• Add raspberries and white chocolate chunks and stir to combine.

• Scoop out a scone-size amount of dough, shape a little with your hands if desired, and put on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheet.

• Bake at 350F for approximately 20 minutes. Edges will get slightly brown, and the middles will be firm. They will firm up a little more after they cool, so don't overcook.
• Let cool, and enjoy!

These freeze well and defrost nicely in the microwave.
p.s. can you believe I forgot to take a photo of the final product? I will try to remember next time.

Blueberry Macadamia Crispy Rice Treats

Blueberry Macadamia Crispy Rice Treats
(gluten free, corn free, vegan)

Ingredients

• 3 cups gluten free puffed rice cereal
• 3/4 cup gluten free brown rice syrup
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1/3 cup dried blueberries
• Dash himalayan salt

Method

• Warm the brown rice syrup over low heat until thin and liquidy.
• Add puffed rice cereal and himalayan salt. Stir until well coated.
• Add macadamia nuts and blueberries and stir to mix.
• Press mixture into brownie pan and allow to cool. 

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Here are a few links to more info, including the health benefits of blueberries, macadamia nuts, and himalayan salt, and an internet article discussing alternative sweeteners, including brown rice syrup (low glycemic and contains B-vitamins).