Whole Wheat Spice Bars With Maple-Cream Icing

Take comfort this chilly Fall season with moist molasses-maple bars. Give them fall flair by spreading on maple-cream icing and/or use stencils to make powdered sugar maple leaves on top.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 32 Bars

Ingredients

• BARS

• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄3 cup  packed brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup molasses
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1  cup whole wheat flour

• MAPLE CREAM ICING

• 1⁄3 cup sour cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  maple flavoring
• 3  cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. BARS:
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined.
3. Add molasses, the water, and eggs; beat until well mixed. Beat in all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
5. While bars are cooling, prepare Maple-Cream Icing. Spoon icing over uncut bars; spread evenly. Let stand until set. Cut into bars. Makes 32 bars.
6. ICING:
7. In a medium bowl, stir together dairy sour cream, vanilla, and maple flavoring. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar, whisking until smooth.