Cranberry Orange Nut Bars

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in walnuts and dried cranberries.

Whisk 1 cup sugar, applesauce, oil, orange zest and juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″x13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray (I prefer the kind with flour in it).

Remove dough from the refrigerator and press firmly into the pan. Dough will be very sticky; use a piece of parchment or waxed paper to press it down evenly.

Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over the top of the pressed dough.

Bake the bars until lightly golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 15 servings.