Applesauce Spice Bars

I made this recipe awhile ago to use up applesauce. Of course I have seen these bars around before, they are a Dorie recipe and been through Tuesdays with Dorie and all that jazz. I liked these bars a lot. They were very moist and had a lot of apple flavor. The glaze balanced it all out too. I left out the raisins and pecans and liked it just peachily. I sent these away to a Thanksgiving party I was supposed to attend, but had a performance instead. They were welcomed. =)

Applesauce Spice Bars
Dorie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 baking apple, cored and finely diced

2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and dust the inside with flour.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the applesauce and vanilla, and whisk until the incorporated and the mixture is smooth again. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple. 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 form the sides of the pan and a knife in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to the let the cake cool.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Adjust the heat so that the glaze simmers, and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the hot glaze over the bars, spreading with a spatula to smooth evenly. Let them cool to room temperature before cutting.