Spiced Zucchini Carrot Bars

Submitted by Mimi22

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Yields: 1 pan

ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 3⁄4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine, softened
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup shredded small zucchini, patted dry with paper towel
• 1 cup grated carrot, patted dry with paper towel
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1⁄2 cup flaked coconut

• FROSTING

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.
3. In large bowl, cream brown sugar, sugar and 3/4 cup butter.
4. Blend flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon spice mix, eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla into creamed mixture.
5. Stir in zucchini and carrots, nuts and coconut.
6. Spread dough evenly in prepared pan.
7. Bake in preheated oven 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown.
8. Cool.
9. MAKE FROSTING: In large bowl, blend all frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy.
10. Spread over bars.

Reviews

[evewitch]

I was a bit puzzled by the instructions as they call for adding 1 tsp. spice mix, whereas the ingredients specify 1 1/2 tsp. Since these are "spice" bars I elected to use the 1 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice. The bars themselves were perfectly spiced and the carrots, zucchini, etc. were present in the flavor without being overpowering. I felt the bars were a bit crumbly and cake-like to be so thin (they came out about 3/4" thick). The frosting, too, was fine out of the bowl, quite sweet and rich, and I liked the cinnamon addition. However, it overpowered the bars rather than complementing them. I think both the textural issues and the problem with the frosting could be overcome by simply baking them in a smaller pan, to increase the thickness (and the bar-to-frosting ratio).