Applesauce Spice Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 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 tablespoon applejack (optional) or 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)
• 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

Recipe

• 1 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.
• 2 whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt together.
• 3 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.
• 4 still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are blended.
• 5 add in the applesauce, vanilla, and applejack; whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth.
• 6 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.
• 7 scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
• 8 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.
• 9 transfer the baking pan to a rack and let cake cool while you make the glaze.
• 10 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.
• 11 adjust the heat so the glaze simmer, and cook, whisking frequently for 5 minutes; remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla.
• 12 turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper and invert the bars onto another rack, so they are right side up.
• 13 slide the parchment paper under the rack to serve as a drip catcher.
• 14 grab a long metal icing spatula and pour the hot glaze over the bars, using the spatula to spread it evenly over the cake.
• 15 let them cool to room temperature before you cut them.
• 16 cut into 32 rectangles, each about 2 ¼ x 1 ½ inches.