Sweet Potato Buttermilk Bars

Note from Cheri: This recipe is from a unique book called Vegetable Desserts ~ Beyond Carrot Cake & Pumpkin Pie, by Elisabeth Schafer and Jeannette L. Miller, R.D. This is a handy tome to add to your library, especially if you're a gardener who has an overabundance of of crops. It also provides a sneaky way of getting kids (of all ages) to eat more veggies! This recipe, for instance, uses sweet potatoes, which make a moist bar cake with the flavors of yesteryear. Marilyn Helton, of our Diabetic Dining on Fabulous Foods column, has provided the nutritional breakdowns and adapted the recipe so diabetics can plan a treat into their menus.

nonstick vegetable cooking spray 1/2 C vegetable shortening 1/4 C sugar 1 egg 1/2 C molasses 1 C raw sweet potato, grated 1 tsp. grated orange zest 1 C all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 C whole wheat flour 1/4 C buttermilk

Makes 54 Bars Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside. Cream the shortening and sugar. Add egg and beat thoroughly. Add molasses, sweet potato, and orange zest. Sift together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ginger. Stir in whole wheat flour. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to the sweet potato mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. While warm, cut into 54 bars (9 by 6 rows). Per Bar: 45 Cal 2 gm Fat 6 gm Carb 1 gm Protein 5 mg Cholesterol 35 mg Sodium Exchanges: 1/2 Bread 1/2 Fat