Applesauce bars with pecan praline topping

24 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
¼cupUnsalted butter; softened
½cupBrown sugar; packed
1largeEgg
1teaspoonVanilla extract
1cupUnsweetened applesauce; chunky
cupFlour
1teaspoonCinnamon
½teaspoonBaking powder
½teaspoonBaking soda
¼teaspoonSalt
cupGolden delicious apples; peeled and chopped
½cupPecans; chopped
cupPacked brown sugar
3tablespoonsUnsalted butter; softened
1tablespoonFlour
1cupPecans; chopped

Directions

BATTER

TOPPING

OVEN: 350 Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BATTER: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer til light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat til blended. Stir in the applesauce just til blended. (The mixture will look curdled.)

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just til blended. Fold in the apples and the pecans. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

TOPPING: In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter and flour and blend with a fork; stir in the pecans til blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or til the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

Recipe by: Bar Cookies A to Z by Marie Simmons 1994 p. 21 Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest by Linda Shapiro <lss@...> on Aug 23, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.