Call of the Wild Rice Spice Bars Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 0.75  cups (430 g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup (165 g) precooked wild or brown rice
• ½ cup (100 g) Spectrum Organic Shortening
• ¾ cup (170 g) packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (125 g) Bob’s Red Mill brown rice or sorghum flour
• ½ cup (60 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon (4.6 g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (2.3 g) ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
• 1 cup (165 g) packed sulfite-free raisins

• 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) Spectrum Organic Shortening
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice milk or safe milk alternative
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla
• ½ teaspoon (1.2 g) ground cinnamon or Honey

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
To make the Bars
2. In a small saucepan, bring the unsweetened applesauce and rice to a slow boil. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Th e rice should be very soft.
3. With a mixer, cream together the shortening and brown sugar. Add in the rice flour and the next 4 ingredients (through salt) and mix slowly. Stir in raisins. Pour in the applesauce mixture and mix until you have a smooth batter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until firm in the center. Cool.
To make the Frosting
5. Place frosting ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Frost cooled bars or, alternatively, drizzle with honey