Spice Bars

For pumpkin pie lovers, with no pumpkin to cook with!

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 36
• Yields: 36 bars

Ingredients

• 1  cup raisins or 1  cup currants
• 1  cup water
• 1⁄2 cup applesauce, any flavor fine
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  egg, slightly beaten
• 1 1⁄2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 3⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2⁄3 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Combine raisins (or currants) and water and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat, stir in applesauce and sugar and allow to cool.
3. When mixture is lukewarm, stir egg into raisin mixture.
4. Combine dry ingredients (except nuts) separately, then add to wet.
5. Stir in nuts.
6. Spoon batter into greased 13x7x2 pan.
7. Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
8. Frost with buttercream or butter-cream cheese mixture: 4 TB butter + 4 TB cream cheese + 1 1/2 cup vanilla powdered sugar + 1 TB nonfat milk.