Crispy Rice Squares
Adapted from the Ottawa Citizen
·
½ cup (125 ml) almond
or peanut butter – organic and unsweetened
·
½ cup (125 ml) brown
rice syrup***
·
2 Tbsp (25 ml) honey-
unpasteurized
·
1/3 cup (75 ml)
organic chocolate chips or carob chips (optional)
·
1 Tsp (5 ml) vanilla
extract
·
3 cups of crispy brown
rice cereal *
·
½ cup (125 ml) chopped
almonds or walnuts
·
¼ cup (50 ml)
sunflower seeds
·
¼ cup (50 ml) pumpkin
seeds
·
½ cup (125 ml) dried
apricots, chopped, preferably organic (no sulphites)**
1. Heat nut butter, brown rice syrup, and honey in a large
saucepan over medium-high heat until it softens and mixes easily with the rice
syrup and honey. Lower heat to simmer
and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
If desired, stir in chocolate chips or carob until melted.
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Mix in rice cereal, nuts, seeds, choc
chips/carob and apricots. Using lightly
oiled hands press the mixture into lightly oiled 8 inch (2 L) square cake
pan. Refrigerate till firm. This will keep at room temperature if covered
for about a week. The fridge tends to
dry out the squares.
*
I used Erewhon, Crispy Brown Rice – Organic. It has only 3 ingredients Brown Rice,
organice malted barley extract and sea salt.
Regular Rice Krispies can be used; however it raises the sugar content
in the squares. The Erewhon Crispy Rice
is found at health food stores,(Turquoise Holistic) and sometimes Loblaws in
their health section carries it.
** Regular dried apricots can be used (orange in
colour) ;however it contains sulphites.
Natural apricots will be brown in colour; they are found at food health
stores, but they can be harder to locate.
***Brown Rice syrup is a slow
digesting syrup. It enters the bloodstream slowly; therefore it does not upset
the blood sugar levels. This syrup is also found in health food stores, and in
the health food section at Loblaws.
Please keep in mind, this snack
is still high in calories. However it is
using a healthy assortment of ingredients.
Enjoy.