Chocolate Chango Bars II (Eggless Cookie Bars)

After reading this post, I used ground up flax seeds as egg replacement and wow! it was the best batch of Chango Bars yet- somehow moister and chewier and altogether seriously yummy. And since there are no raw eggs, no worries about Salmonella poisoning either if you like eating the uncooked cookie dough :).

I got a bag of whole flax seeds and give them a whirl in my coffee spice grinder as needed: one Tbsp flax seeds plus 2 Tbsp water for each egg called for in the recipe. I had been using cornstarch plus water for a long time but now that I have discovered flax seeds, I prefer that over the cornstarch since they add nutritive value too.

While I was cutting out the eggs, I cut out the oil too from my first version of Chocolate Chango Bars without any adverse effects; so now we have a healthier (fat and cholesterol reduced) as well as a better tasting recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
2 cups Brown Sugar, loosely packed
3 Tbsp Flax seeds, ground plus 1/2 cup water
2 cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup Your Favorite Nuts (save a few for topping)
1/3 cup Oat flakes or Multi grain flakes PLUS 2 Tbsp for topping

Method:

Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.

Mix together the brown sugar, ground flax and the water.

Mix in the cooled melted butter and oil.

Combine flour, baking powder, and the salt and sift into the butter/sugar mixture and stir just enough to combine.

Fold in the 1/3 cup oat/multi grain flakes, chocolate chips and nuts.

Place blobs of the dough evenly in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking pan, gently press down to even it out (don't worry if there are spaces between the blobs of dough; while baking the dough expands and evens out to become one cake) and sprinkle the top with the 2 Tbsp oat/multi grain flakes and lightly press in the saved nuts.

The dough can be chilled or frozen for longer storage at this time. Chilled/frozen dough will require longer baking time.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees F or the edges are golden brown. Use the shorter baking time if you like the cookie bars to be gooey/chewy and a little longer for firm/crispy.

Cool and cut into desired shapes.

Serve as is warm or cool. Or serve warm a la mode (with ice cream of your choice).