Chocolate Fingers

6 oz (1 cup) dark chocolate, milk chocolate or semi-sweet chips (depending on your taste)

½ cup butter

8 oz (1 cup) cream cheese

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp GF vanilla

2 cups flour or 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour or 2 cups ATK flour + ½ tsp xanthan gum or 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill flour + 1/3 cup

   millet flour + 2/3 cup white rice flour + ½ tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp baking powder

Topping Options:

     ½ cup peppermint baking chips (sometimes I have a hard time finding these)

     2 dozen (about) peppermint kisses, chopped (or you can chop your favorite peppermint bark, enough to equal 1/2 cup)

     ½ cup crushed hard peppermint candy (this option can get sticky & doesn’t keep as well)

     ½ - 1 cup toasted nuts (like slivered almonds or chopped pecans)

     ½ - 1 cup white chocolate chips

     ½ - 1 cup mixed white & semi-sweet/dark/milk chocolate chips

Beat butter, cream cheese, sugar, egg, & vanilla until soft & smooth.

Whisk together flour, xanthan gum & baking powder. Stir into butter mixture.

Prep 9x13” pan with GF baking spray or line with parchment paper. Spread dough in pan & smooth to level surface. The dough will be fairly sticky – not gonna lie, this will get your hands pretty messy! (You can try a little GF flour on your hands, but make sure it doesn’t leave too much on the top of the dough.) The important part is to try & spread it as evenly as you can.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes, 12-14 minutes if using GF flour, until firm.

While the base is baking, melt 6 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly or in microwave – be careful not to burn!

Remove base from oven & pour melted chocolate over top. It may not spread out evenly on its’ own, I just use a spatula & gently smooth it all over the top of the base. Sprinkle with topping(s) of choice.

Cool completely. Cut into fingers or squares. About 4-5 dozen.

Can freeze, but sometimes chocolate turns a little white.

Notes:

I tried using all Bob’s Red Mill GF flour, the consistency was good, but there was a slight aftertaste. Adding the other GF flours got rid of the aftertaste & kept a good consistency.

I make these around Christmas time, so I like to use some form of peppermint topping. But make this your own! The topping(s) you sprinkle on should total about ½ - 1 cup. Again, make it your own with the amount!

I haven’t had great luck with melting chocolate in the microwave, so I do it on top of the stove on really low heat, stirring constantly. But melting it in the microwave is great if that works better for you.

If you use any type of chocolate to sprinkle on the top, just remember that because the base & melted chocolate are warm, the sprinkled on chocolate will be soft. Resist the temptation to rearrange or touch it, unless you don’t mind that it may squish down a little bit!