Benne Seed Raisin Bars Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add tahini and beat until combined well. Beat in egg, vanilla, and salt. Add flour and beat batter until just combined. Beat in raisins and benne seeds. Spread batter evenly in a buttered jelly-roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inch, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack and cut into 36 bars. Bars may be made 3 days in advance and kept in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a food processor, pulse the first 6 ingredients until finely chopped (it's ok if there are few coarsely chopped pieces).
• Add the honey and sunflower and pulse until starting to combine.
• Pour the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch pan, greased then line with parchment and press down into the pan until completely even.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Let the bars completely cool before cutting with a serrated knife into bars.
• Serve.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in coffee. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the coffee mixture until blended. Stir in raisins and pecans., Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes., Meanwhile for icing, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over warm bars.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Line bottom with parchment paper, and butter parchment; set sheet aside.
• Make filling: Pulse raisins and sugar in a food processor until almost pureed. Transfer to a saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into 1 cup cold water; whisk into raisin mixture. Stir in cider. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and sugar has dissolved, about 6 minutes.Let cool completely.
• Make dough: Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Add brown sugar, and mix until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in oats.
• Press half the dough into prepared baking sheet. Spread raisin filling evenly over top of dough. Crumble remaining dough on top of filling using your fingers, gently pressing down so that topping covers filling. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inchsquares. Bars can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.