stress relief applesauce bars
My sixteen-year-old daughter came home from school yesterday all upset and crying from her stressful day at school (peer pressure). After she talked everything out with me, she tore into the kitchen (bowls banging, pots slamming) and created these awesome applesauce bars. I hate to say it, but I hope she gets stressed out more often. These are AMAZING...
Blue Ribbon Recipe
One bite of these applesauce bars and the stresses of the day do melt away! We also enjoyed them in the morning with a cup of coffee. They're tender with just the right amount of sweetness and filled with warm spices. The cake part of the bar is peppered with dried cranberries to add a slightly tart pop of flavor. We enjoyed the sweetness from the easy icing and the little crunch of the chopped walnuts. Perfect for fall. These bars are thin and bake quickly. If you want a thicker bar, you can use a smaller 9x9 pan but baking time will need to be adjusted.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Craisins
- 1/2 cup chopped, walnuts
- ICING
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How To Make stress relief applesauce bars
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Step 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. -
Step 2In a medium bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in applesauce.
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Step 3Combine the all-purpose and whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
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Step 4Mix the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture.
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Step 5Stir in the Craisins.
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Step 6Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the edges are golden.
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Step 7Cool in the pan over a wire rack. Let cool completely.
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Step 8For the icing, mix the confectioners' sugar and butter in a small bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk until smooth.
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Step 9Spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
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Step 10Cut into squares.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
