Monkey Bars

Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoons apple juice 
• 0.5 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.5 cup banana ripe mashed (1 medium)
• 0.8 cup brown sugar packed
• 0.3 cup butter softened
• 2 large egg whites 
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk low-fat
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 
• 0.5 cup raisins 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 0.3 cup walnuts chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• blender
• baking pan
• microwave
• measuring cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Combine raisins and apple juice in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
3. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk.
4. Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended.
5. Add banana and next 3 ingredients, beating well.
6. Add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in raisin mixture and walnuts.
7. Spread batter in an 8-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray.
8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and cut into bars.
10. Kitchen Classroom: Ripe Bananas When selecting bananas, the only way to tell how ripe they are is by the color of the peel. The skin of a perfectly ripe banana will be yellow and slightly speckled with brown spots. It'll be softer and sweeter than green bananas (or even slightly green ones), which are not yet ripe.
11. Mash banana
12. Measure raisins and walnuts
13. Stir together dry ingredients
14. Stir raisin mixture and walnuts into batter