Journeying through baking, I always return to my grandmother's recipe cards for their familiar handwriting and to re-live the flavor memories that were created. I can see why my grandmother and possibly her mother made them, they are rich, sweet, and moist, just as a bar should be. Like I do with many of my grandmother's recipes, I have decreased the sugar (using maple syrup), used whole wheat pastry flour, and swapped out the shortening for butter. I added the cardamom and infused the butter with zest from the honeybell oranges that I have been saving in the freezer. The end result has a gentle but spicy floral aroma and a mysterious flavor not immediately obvious, which was the cardamom. I think that my grandmother would approve of these. They are awesome with coffee or tea. You could also serve these in slices with a scoop of vanilla or coconut ice cream.

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