Gluten-Free Chocolate Crunchies

More and more people are discovering that they're gluten-intolerant. Including my daughter-in-law. She figured it out last year after Pesach. After a week of not eating much matzah, she polished off a large roll and promptly got sick. Then she started paying attention to what she ate and made the connection.

I don't find it problematic. There's always rice and quinoa in my pantry. I keep a box of gluten-free pasta and rice crackers on hand for her as well.

When the kids come for Shabbat, I make fruit or nut-based desserts. I've also made low-fat flourless chocolate cake and cakes based on polenta or dairy products.

But I had an idea for something else. Something gluten-free that was quick and easy. And crunchy.

I started with a chocolate bar and "Puffed Brown Rice" (פצפוצי אורז מלא) - the Israeli version of whole-grain Rice Krispies. I melted the chocolate, threw in a handful of dried fruit and mixed it all up. That's pretty much it.

Now it's the most frequently requested recipe at family get-togethers.

Chocolate Crunchies (Parve or Dairy, depending on the chocolate)

Melt 1 bar (100 grams/3.5 ounces) of bittersweet chocolate. (Elite and Vered Hagalil make parve bars with 60% chocolate solids that work well.)

The easiest way to do this is in the microwave.

Using your hands, break the chocolate into small pieces and put them into a large bowl. Add about a teaspoon of canola oil. Microwave the chocolate on medium to low power for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until it melts. Stir it until it's smooth.

Mix a handful of raisins (or dried cranberries, blueberries or chopped dried apricots) into the melted chocolate. Add a cup or two (or more) of puffed brown rice cereal to the chocolate. Start with a smaller amount of cereal and mix it in until it's covered with chocolate. The goal is a larger amount of cereal held together with a smaller amount of chocolate.

Use a soup spoon to drop the mixture onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Don't worry. The mixture will not hold together well just yet. Just place the mounds on the sheet, with a little space between each one.

Put the baking sheet into the freezer for about 5 minutes. Or into the refrigerator for a longer time.

Variation: Omit the oil and add a spoonful or two of natural-style peanut butter to the melted chocolate before adding the cereal.