Applesauce Spice Bars
- Ready In:
- 1hr 55mins
- Ingredients:
- 19
- Yields:
-
32 bars
ingredients
-
Bars
- 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1 tablespoon brandy (optional) or 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
- 1 baking apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced (Rome or Cortland)
- 1⁄2 cup raisins (dark or golden)
-
Glaze
- 2 1⁄2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 1⁄2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
directions
- Position oven rack in center; preheat oven to 350°; butter a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, line bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess flour and put the pan on a baking sheet.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat; add in the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute; remove pan from the heat.
- Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are blended.
- Add in the applesauce, vanilla, and applejack; whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple, raisins and nuts.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the bars just start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife comes out clean.
- Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let cake cool while you make the glaze.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter, and corn syrup; put pan over medium heat and bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently.
- Adjust the heat so the glaze simmer, and cook, whisking frequently for 5 minutes; remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper and invert the bars onto another rack, so they are right side up.
- Slide the parchment paper under the rack to serve as a drip catcher.
- Grab a long metal icing spatula and pour the hot glaze over the bars, using the spatula to spread it evenly over the cake.
- Let them cool to room temperature before you cut them.
- Cut into 32 rectangles, each about 2 ¼ x 1 ½ inches.
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