Apple Butter Bars

I love getting mail. I am almost obsessed with it, especially packages. So when adozeneggs mentioned the Fall Foodie Swap, my eyes lit up.  I had a whole month to pull together a package for my swap partner, then I would mail it, and wait in anticipation for my surprise to come!

Between signing up for the swap and the send-off date, life got busy for us.  Hubby was offered a job in a new city, and all of a sudden, we were packing up and moving. As the end of the month neared, I gathered some little surprises and sent them off.

I was thrilled when my package arrived from Lanie. Full of great surprises, including some awesome Ohio Apple Butter.  Included in the package was a recipe for Apple Butter Bars, which I knew I had to try.

We didn’t have raisins around the house, nor do I care much for them, so I substituted 1/2 cup craisins.

Also, instead of apple pie spice, I utilized my spice rack to make up a mock apple pie spice.

Apple Pie Spice:

1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tbsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of ground cardamom

Recipe for Apple Butter Bars

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, softened
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup apple butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp apple pie spice mixture
1/2 cup craisins
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 350° and grease 13x9” baking pan.
2. Cream butter in the bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment.  Add 3/4 cup flour, brown and granulated sugars, egg, apple butter, baking soda and apple pie spice.  Beat together until well blended.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
4. For icing, mix confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and 1-2 tbsp milk together.  Mix to drizzling consistency, add milk as needed.
5. Drizzle icing over cooled bars. Cut and serve.