Recipe: Carrot-Cake Bars (snack bars using whole wheat flour and oats)

CARROT-CAKE BARS

"Oats, whole-wheat flour, and raisins make these snack bars
fiber-rich."

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons stick margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups regular oats, uncooked
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 11 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Beat sugar and margarine at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add buttermilk, vanilla, and egg whites; beat well; set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating just until blended.

Stir in carrot and raisins. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 33 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Makes 12 servings
Source: Cooking Light magazine, July/August 1998