Recipe: Spiced Applesauce Blondies

SPICED APPLESAUCE BLONDIES

"The applesauce and shredded apple in this batter keeps these homestyle blondies moist. Plain, cake-like, and gently flavored with spices, the squares are ideal to serve with hot cider, mulled wine, or coffee."

3/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tart cooking apple*
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9x9-inch baking pan.

Thoroughly mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a bowl; set aside.

Whisk the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a bowl; blend in the applesauce and shredded apple. Pour the butter-sugar-apple mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir to form a batter. Stir in the walnuts. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan; spread the batter evenly.

Bake the blondies for 30 minutes, or until just set. Cool the blondies completely in the pan on a rack. Cut into 2 1/4- by 2 1/4-inch squares. Remove the blondies from the pan using a metal spatula. Store in an airtight tin.

*Peel and core the apple then shred it using the large holes of a hand grater.

Makes 16 ( 2 1/4x2 1/4-inch) blondies
Source: Brownies and Blondies by Lisa Yockelson