CARAMEL APPLESAUCE BARS

Caramel Applesauce Bars image

Provided by cindy sandberg

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 19

BARS:
3/4 c whole wheat, white whole wheat or oat flour
1/2 c ap flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c butter(or light olive oil, coconut oil, or grapeseed oil)
1/2 c brown sugar(i used demerra sugar)
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 optional add-inns: 1 peeled and finely diced apple and/or 1/2 c raisins and/or 1/2 c nuts
CARAMEL GLAZE:
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 Tbsp cream or half and half
1/3 c brown sugar(i used demerra)
1 tsp pure maple syrup or honey

Steps:

1. Grease a 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a med. saucepan, melt the butter. Add the sugar and honey and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in the eggs, one at at time until well combined. Add the applesauce and vanilla and stir well.
4. Dump the dry ingredients into the pan with the wet and stir gently to combine. Spread batter in pan and bake for 20-25 min. until cake is starting to pull away from sides of pan, and toothpick tests done. Remove to rack to cool.
5. Make the glaze: Melt the butter, then add the remaining ingrdients. Heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Pour hot glaze over bars, spreading evenly with a metal spatula. Allow bars to finish cooling, then cut into squares.