Carrot Halwa Blondie Bars ~ Day 100

Celebrating 100 days of blogging with these divine Carrot Halwa Blondie Bars.  This winning recipe (in the Indian category on Cooking Channel's Perfect 3 program) was created by my blogger friend, Niv Mani of Panfusine.  Thank You Niv for this amazing and keeper recipe.

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Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yields:: 25 to 30 bars

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Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour - 2 cups
• Baking powder - 3 tbsp, leveled
• Shredded carrots - 2 cups
• Raisins - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 5 tbsp
• Sweetened condensed milk - one 14-ounce can
• Whole milk - 1/2 cup
• Unsalted butter - 8 tbsp, melted
• Ground nutmeg - 1/8 tsp
• Cardamom pods - 5 to 7, seeds removed and finely crushed
• Slivered almonds - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.  Set it aside.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the carrots, raisins, sugar, whole milk, and the condensed milk.  Mix well and microwave for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and have lost their raw taste.
4. Stir in the melted butter, cardamom and nutmeg.
5. Pour the carrot mixture into the center of the bowl with the flour.  Fold in the carrots gently, working from the sides in towards the center, taking care not to over mix (this can cause the gluten to bind together, resulting in a tough and leathery texture).
6. Spread evenly onto the baking tray (I used a 9 x 11 baking pan) and sprinkle with slivered almonds.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top, is golden brown. Cool completely, cut into squares and serve.
7. These bars freeze well and will keep for up to a month in the freezer.