Birch Birch Everywhere
As soon as break-up started in Fairbanks, my mantra became: “Birch, birch everywhere and not a drop to eat.” I’d spent the earlier part of the year interviewing commercial producers and home tappers f...
This oat shortbread is gluten free and has a special Alaska touch with birch syrup sweetener. Read about birch syrup in "Birch, Birch, Everywhere," a story by Bree Kessler from our Spring 2020 issue.
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain rolled oats
- 1 cup roasted almonds or unsweetened coconut shreds
- ½ cup melted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup birch syrup
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Preparation
Heat oven to 350° F and grease an 8-inch-square pan.
In a blender or food processor, grind oats and nuts/coconut into a coarse flour. (A few unground oats are perfectly fine.) In a mixing bowl, mix the coarse flour with salt, and then add the butter, sugar, and syrup. Stir until combined, then press firmly into prepared pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the edges are browned.
After pulling the shortbread out of the oven, immediately cut into pieces. Allow to cool in the pan until just cool enough to handle, and then remove to cool completely on a rack. Serve at room temperature.
About this recipe
Note: If you have friends with dietary restrictions, this recipe is pretty accommodating. By replacing the almonds or coconut with plain oats, and replacing the butter with a dairy-free margarine, this becomes an easy, nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly treat.
Note 2: A half-batch of this pressed thinly into the bottom of a pie pan makes an excellent gluten-free shortbread pie crust. Bake at 425° F under foil for 10 minutes, or until it begins to brown.
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