Recipe: Coffee Cookie Bars with Caramel Icing (Farm Journal, 1971)

COFFEE COOKIE BARS

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup hot, strong coffee
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla; set aside.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and add alternately with hot coffee to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Spread dough in greased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F) 25 minutes. While hot, spread with Caramel Icing. Set pan on rack to cool, then cut in 2x1-inch bars.

CARAMEL ICING

3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon half-and-half, light cream or milk
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

Combine brown sugar, butter and half-and-half in 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and gradually add confectioner's sugar, beating constantly. If icing is not smooth, place over low heat, stirring constantly, until lumps of sugar disappear. (Makes enough to ice cookies baked in a 13x9-inch pan)

Makes 4 dozen cookies
Source: Farm Journal Homemade Cookies by Food Editors of Farm Journal, 1971