Scream Bars!

When I was a kid, Halloween was not my favorite day. I loved the dressing up part, but I hated trick or treating. I wasn’t allowed to accept the candy or any treats, and because of my allergies, I didn’t like going out with my friends. So, I just refused to go. I felt extremely sad and left out the next day when kids shared their stories about their night and the loot they collected.

Finding products that were safe for both my peanut and tree nut allergies and my brother’s egg allergy seemed impossible. This prompted my mom to take matters into her own hands and make all of our Halloween candy from scratch for many years.

To this day, I still use her recipes and praise her every second that I get for helping me and my brother to truly feel the Halloween spirit.

This is a revamped version of her “Scream Bars” –

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup flour

Filling:

• 2 egg substitutes*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•  1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup crisped rice cereal (e.g. Rice Krispies)
• Small amount of food coloring

*For a homemade egg substitute, you can use 2 tablespoons of warm water + 1/2 tablespoon baking powder PER EGG.

Crust Preparation:

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl. Press into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.

Filling Preparation:

Mix together your egg substitutes. Combine with brown sugar, vanilla, flour, chocolate chips, and baking powder.

Use a paint brush or spoon to lightly cover the crisped rice cereal and coconut with food colour to give them a scream worthy affect. Add them to the filling mixture.

Assembly:

Spread the filling mixture onto the pre-baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes longer.

Let cool, and cut into small squares. Bon Appetit!