Low GI Recipe of the Month

Gluten-free Apricot Nut Slice
‘Gluten-free recipes I can do. Recipes for people with diabetes I can do,’ said dietitian/home economist Diane Temple, ‘but together it’s a pretty tough challenge.’ And after lots of testing, here’s Diane’s delicious gluten-free slice that’s ideal for school lunch boxes. It is easy and quick to make, contains good fats and is rich in fibre. From our calculations, the GI is likely to be moderate. This is because the GI of the gluten-free biscuits you use and the rice flour will probably be high, but the dried fruits are low. Here’s a tip before you whip up a batch: when baking slices, check the actual base measurement of the pan, you’ll find it may be different from the labelled size – usually a little smaller.



Makes 12 pieces ▪ Preparation time 10 minutes ▪ Cooking time 25 minutes

Base
120 g (4 oz) plain, sweet gluten free biscuits
1/3 cup (60 g/2 oz) brown rice flour
1/3 cup (35 g/1¼ oz) hazelnut meal
40 g (1½ oz) polyunsaturated or monounsaturated margarine, melted
1 egg white

Filling
200 g (7 oz) dried apricots
60 g (2 oz) dried cherries
1 cup (250 ml) water
2 teaspoons caster sugar
30 g (1 oz) flaked almonds

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease 26 x 16 cm/10½ in x 6½ (base measurement) slice pan.* Line the base and the 2 long sides with baking paper and extend the paper a few centimetres above the edge of the pan to help with removing the slice when it is cooked and cooled.
2. To make the base: combine the biscuit crumbs, flour and hazelnut meal in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg white until slightly foamy. Add the margarine and egg white to the crumbs and mix together using your hands to combine. Press the mixture into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until base is lightly browned.
3. For the topping: place the apricots, cherries and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until the fruit is soft, stirring occasionally to break up the fruit. Mix through the sugar. Spread the filling evenly over the cooked base. Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.
4. Bake the slice for 15 minutes or until the almonds are lightly toasted. Leave in the pan to cool. Slice when cold and store in an airtight container.

*Slice pan labelled size is 19 x 29 cm (11½ x 7½ in)

Nutritional analysis per piece
Energy 720 kJ/170 cal, protein 3 g, fat 9 g (sat fat 2 g), fibre 3 g, carbohydrate 21 g

For professional recipe development or testing contact Diane Temple on:
tel 612 9958 3165 ▪ email diane.temple@bigpond.com