Imagine it: A pillow that you can eat, or alternately, a tasty treat on which you can rest your weary head. No more raiding the fridge for a midnight snack! Any takers?
Perhaps not. If you're anything like me, these bars would never have a chance to be used as a pillow as they would be gobbled up before one's eyes could even flutter closed.
Yes, these are some soft and tender treats. I'm not enamored of Dorie Greenspan
The Tuesdays with Dorie group made these applesauce spice bars a while back, and as I'm wont to do, I trailed behind and finally made them myself months later. They really do deserve high praise--they're pillowy, as I think I've mentioned, as well as moist, aromatic (yes, before you ask, I did increase the cinnamon), and flavorful. I used apple butter in lieu of unsweetened applesauce, so they were quite sweet. For this reason, I skipped the (amazingly appetizing) glaze. That was a tough call, but I think it was the right thing to do. I didn't lose any sleep (see what I did there?) over my decision; after all, the glaze would've had a detrimental effect on the functionality of these bars as pillows.*
*Sorry if you found this post utterly ridiculous. In my defense, "one cannot enjoy food without at times putting one's tongue in one's cheek" (a quote from one of the most useful and interesting reads ever
Applesauce Spice Bars
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins (I used golden)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
Melt the butter over low heat or in the microwave. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the apple butter and vanilla and 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. Fold in the raisins and nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the bars just start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
April 15, 2010
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71 comments:
I never saw these before! They look delicious!
Mmm...they do look pillowy! Have you heard of the bacon-clock? It wakes you up to the smell of frying bacon :D. I quite like trailing the TWD group too and cherry - picking the recipes to make later. This one look a winner.
What I like about TWD is it's fun to see the different
interpretations of the same recipe. Other than that, not so much.
And I think you should rename your version to: Grace's Apple Butter Cinnamon Bars! After all, you've made Dorie's recipe your own.
I like your interpretation of the apple bars because I absolutley love apple butter!
So smooth.... I still have to try that recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
I do very little baking but these tasty "pillows" would be on my list.
I could have guessed you added some extra cinnamon in there! Let's just say cinnamon always makes a pillow more comfy...if I hadn't just scarfed down two huge chunks of warm banana bread, I would be baking this right now!!
BTW: you should check out Heavenly Housewife's blog today.... (http://www.donutstodelirium.com/2010/04/lunch-at-ottolenghi-london/) because there is a photo of an apple cake YOU would commit a crime for. Perhaps you can invent the recipe!
I'm not at all enamored w/ DG, but I bought her cookbook because of Tuesdays w/ Dorie - everything always looked delish. I've made a few things out of it and am always disappointed. Maybe me expectations were too high. {shrug} Your cake, however, looks wonderful. Maybe I'll have to give that one a try.
I'm one of those folks who walks and laughs in their sleep, so tonight I'll probably start eating my pillow while dreaming of these bars. I need to get some apple butter, it's been too long since I've seen that tasty ingredient in my fridge!
Your apple cinnamon treats are always so tempting
I think that sleeping on these would make my hair and skin greasy so I'd just stick with eating them :)
These sound terrific! I'm a sucker for anything apple/cinnamon! Bookmarking this recipe!
These sound tasty! I too have not been won over by Dorie Greenspan. I have the Baking from your kitchen to mine currently checked out from the library and everything I have tried has been average at best.
This is fantastic!!!
blowing peachkisses
The Peach Kitchen
peach and things
Grace yoohoo! I'll take one of those pillows! :D
They look fantastic, although I prefer a firmer pillow. ;)
Those sound absaloutley delish, but what sounds even better is that book!
Anything with apple butter is delicious in my book - they look amazing Grace. Get it? Amazing Grace. I crack myself up.
and yes, good for you for adding in more cinnamon--I would have too. leftovers HA!
Good call on the apple butter Grace. Pillowy is a great would, makes me all dreamy and sleepy!
:) Not at all Grace. I totally dig your fun posts and yummy recipes.
~ingrid
Looks good and I wouldn't mind sleeping on one!
Love the idea of a pillowy softness... ! Could totally use one right now (sleep on then eat!)
1) Thanks for the book recommendation.
2) Loved the clever post.
3) I'll have to think about this long and hard before deciding to try the recipe since I have been disappointed/frustrated too many times with D.G. recipes.
4) Having said that, they still look and sound amazingly delicious.
If these bars were my pillow -- it would be devoured by morning! Applesauce bars...delicious! Sounds like perfect treat to have along with my cup of coffee!
I am disappointed I have to say - why just a pillow - they look so good I want a whole bed of this! :)
A pillow of cinnamon and apple aromas would certainly bring sweet dreams!
I can almost smell them from here!
I love reading your posts :) These look delicious! I love apple cinnamon combo!
Forget down or synthetic. Make my pillow an applesauce spice bar. ;)
I didn't find your post ridiculous at all! And I most often tend to skip the icing, some things are better left alone - these look veyr yummy :)
I love the apple butter in these! They look so moist and fluffy...I'd love a pillow made of these bars! :)
A yummy treat. Since I'm much like the Princess and the Pea, I'll skip the pillow, the nuts would drive me crazy.
Mimi
Raisins and walnuts with apple butter sounds delightful. And with extra cinnamon, that would be one lovely pillow.
that sounds delicious! i'm not her biggest fan either for some reason, even though all the recipes of hers i've tried have turned out well. just not my go to sweet person which i suppose is some form of blasphemy, but this does look tempting. :)
OMG, the beginning of your post cracked me up because my hubby and my friend Angie are always talking about making a giant bread bed to sleep on.
Mmmm just found your blog! You have such great recipes such as this apple sauce cake which looks delish!
If only I could rest my weary head on some applesauce cake...life would be much better.
Now if the chairs and desks at work could be made of this, work would be succch bliss! :) If you ever need as tester, PICK ME PICK ME!
I think that there is nothing that contains brown sugar, butter and cinnamon that wouldn't be delightful. This hits all the right buttons for me!
yummy and pretty. winner!
These sound fantastic, delicious sweet treats!
Would I wake up with apple chunks imprinted on my cheeks? I think I'll stick to my down pillow and just yum up the bars.
Oh my gosh, I can just imagine having those every morning with tea. I am definitely going to have to try them. The look delicious! :)
Can you imagine how chubby we would be if we could eat our pillows? These look yummy by the way.
It says 'apple' and 'spice' so obviously I'm in. These will be my Saturday morning bake tomorrow :)
Grace, you are kind of my hero. You are so willing to live in the world of yum, it is a very good thing!
I'd like a few of these right now. I just ate lunch and need something sweet and appley and pillowy.
A Pillow you could eat? Um yes please!
Grace, your pictures are making me drool again! I really like the apple butter in these :)
apple butter and golden raisins...like little pillows--straight to my mouth..
sweetlife
eat and sleep that's life ! Pierre de Paris
These are certainly yummy looking. And they are exactly the kind of dessert I would say Grace would love. Apples, cinnamon... I love them too. You know really your name has become synonymous with cinnamon. A 1/2 teaspoon southern Grace.
mmmm sounds delicious! Your recipes always make me hungry and what i'd give to rest my head on such a pillow.
That looks fantabulous..sure it will all disappear in matter of seconds :-)Apple and cinnamon, unbeatable combo
These are total new to me!!! You won me over with the first sentences!! mmm awesome!
Oh these do look so good. You would I am afraid, if you tried to sleep on them, as my Maw maw would put it, "Wake up with your tongue trying to beat its self out of your mouth to get at um'"! Oh I think so.
I love apples and walnuts (and plenty of butter!) together - I wish I had of had these as a "pillow" in bed with me when I was pregnant and nauseated rather than plain old saltines - what a shame!
These look addictive, I tell ya! With applesauce, all that cinnamon and your addition of applebutter(yum), these bars would not last long at our house! Thanks Grace for another drool worthy snack.
Ah yes, I'd take a nap on these, they look so good.
You're nutty! That's a good thing.
Billowy pillows of goodness. I had a terrible nights sleep last night. I suppose I needed one, or two of those heavenly, spicy applesauce bars to bring sweet dreams.
Thanks for sharing, Grace. I always feel so enlightened when I drop by:)
My husband would love these, as he loves all things with applesauce and cinnamon. He doesn't love cinnamon quite as much as you do, but he sure likes to add it to a lot of things.
Scrumptious! The apples make this healthy, right?
I've heard of apple butter, but never used it before. Is this a specially store item?
These look addictive. the have apples in them so I'm with Livin' Local - they must be good for me
That photo is awesome! It makes one say: that's it, I want it, NOW!
I'm afraid that my dog would go through *many* pillows if they were made of these bars! I'd have to lock him out of my room.
I'm not overly fond of "apple spice" anything but these sound intriguing and I'll have to give them a try. Especially because Livin' Local says they're healthy!
The apple butter was a brilliant idea!
I can't get the thought of wkaing up with sticky hair out of my head
They do look quite pillowy :). But I agree, they probably wouldn't it make it to my bed as they'd be eaten much sooner than that!
mmmm the glaze on this one is good, sorry you didn't try it :)
a few coments.... i love your sense your humor, esp your last comment on my giveaway ;)
also - when i wrote "you can't have apples without cinnamon" on my other blog post, i was specifically thinking about you, grace ;)
Mmmm... I'm wishing I had raisins... if I did, I'd be dragging the computer to the kitchen right now to whip up a pan of these!
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