Fall evokes special tastes such as sweet and spicy pumpkin, crisp apple and warm cinnamon.
Aside from food, it also brings to mind the spirit of giving back. Local Flavor found the perfect way to merge those two thanks to the recipe for Applesauce Raisin Bars, which will be served at Abington Community Library’s Tasting by the Book event on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. at the library, 1200 W. Grove St., Clarks Summit.
The recipe came from members of Abington Heights Civic League, an organization dedicated to supporting causes in the Abingtons, and earned the library a $50 gift card from Riccardo’s Market, 1219 Wheeler Ave., Dunmore, through Local Flavor Gives Back. The dish originated with Maggie Woolever, who passed it on to Cheryl O’Hora so she could give it a try.
O’Hora made the bars with homemade applesauce from apples she cooked fresh from a local orchard. However, bakers also can use store-bought applesauce and either homemade or store-bought cream cheese frosting to top off the bars.
“It’s just the easiest thing to make,” O’Hora said during a recent afternoon at the library. “Everything is basically mixed in a same bowl then baked up. They’re so simple but still so delicious.”
Applesauce Raisin Bars were a bite-sized piece of fall. Soft and chewy, the bars held the perfect sweetness from the apples and just the right amount of spice. Raisins gave the treat a nice bite, while the dollop of cool, sweet cream cheese frosting topped off the whole treat. It’s almost impossible to eat just one.
At the fundraiser, guests can sample the bars as well as dozens of other items, from appetizers to entrees to desserts, all made by friends of the library. There also will be wine and beer plus basket raffles and live music throughout the night.
While Tasting by the Book is the library’s signature fundraiser, Abington Community Library is a champion for its neighbors with its resources and events as well as support of local authors, O’Hora said. The event is a wonderful way to meet friends and support the community, she added, and the civic league works hard to ensure funds get to the community groups that need it most. During the 1950s, the civic league — Abington
Junior Women’s Club at the time — was instrumental in starting the library, AHCL public relations chair Cathy Plishka said.
“It’s a nice way to come full circle to be supporting an event like this,” Plishka added. “It’s going to be a great night out.”
GIA MAZUR / STAFF PHOTO Abington Heights Civic League members Cathy Plishka, left, and Cheryl O’Hora display Applesauce Raisin Bars, which earned Abington Community Library a grocery gift card through Local Flavor Gives Back.
Abington Civic League’s Applesauce Raisin Bars
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup applesauce
Cream cheese frosting
Mix together all ingredients, minus frosting and a handful of raisins for garnish, for 2 minutes. Pour into a 13-inch-by-9-inch greased pan. Bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Cut into bite-sized bars. Top each with a dollop of cream cheese frosting and a plump raisin
Gia Mazur is an award-winning staff writer and beauty obsessive who joined The Times-Tribune’s Lifestyles department in 2015. She’s a product enthusiast who can’t live without an eyelash curler. A proud Virgo, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is her go-to. Contact: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT
