Instructions: OVEN: 350 Lightly butter a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BATTER: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer til light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat til blended. Stir in the applesauce just til blended. (The mixture will look curdled.)

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just til blended. Fold in the apples and the pecans. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

TOPPING: In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter and flour and blend with a fork; stir in the pecans til blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or til the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.