Recipes for Bars and Squares

STREUSEL TOPPING
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts -- chopped
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

SHORTBREAD CRUST
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter -- cut up

APPLE FILLING
3 tablespoons butter
3 pounds Golden Delicious apples -- peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch -- plus
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 inch jelly-roll pan.

Prepare Streusel Topping: In medium bowl, with hand, mix all topping ingredients until mixture comes together. Shape into a ball; cover and refrigerate.

Prepare Shortbread Crust: In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs evenly in prepared pan. With hands, firmly pat crumbs onto bottom of pan to form a crust. Bake crust 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned (crust may crack).

Meanwhile, prepare Apple Filling: In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, raisins, sugar and cinnamon, and cook 15 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. In cup, mix cornstarch and lemon juice; stir into apple mixture until thickened (it will thicken almost immediately). Remove skillet from heat.

Spoon hot apple mixture over warm crust. Break Streusel Topping into 1/2-inch chunks and scatter over apple mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until streusel is golden. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. When cool, cut lengthwise into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Use wide metal spatula to lift and serve squares.

TO FREEZE: Make this buttery cookie-like dessert up to 1 month ahead; wrap it well, and freeze right in the pan. Allow to thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Description: "All the flavors of an apple pie - buttery crust, sweet apples and brown sugar streusel - made in a jelly-roll pan." Source: "Good Housekeeping, November 2000"

1 Egg
1/4 c Vegetable oil
1/2 c Low fat plain yogurt
3/4 c Brown sugar
1 c Applesauce
1 ts Vanilla
1 ts Grated lemon rind
1/2 c Raisins
1 c Whole wheat flour
1/2 c Natural bran
1 ts Baking powder
2 ts Cinnamon
1 ts Ginger
1/4 ts Ground nutmeg
1/3 c Sliced almonds, optional

In large mixing bowl, beat egg; add oil, yogurt, brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla and lemon/orange rind; mix well.

In another bowl, stir together raisins, flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; add to wet ingredients and mix only until combined.

Turn into lightly greased 8" square cake pan. Lightly press almonds into top of batter. Bake in 350 F oven for 45 min or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. (Squares will be moist.) Let cool, then cut into squares. Makes 25 small squares 1 1/2 inch.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 egg large, beaten
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 1/3 cups apricot-pineapple preserves
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg large
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
1 cup coconut flaked

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan or coat with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in beaten egg and milk until flour mixture is moistened. Press dough into baking pan. Evenly spread preserves over dough to within 1/4 inch of all edges. In a medium bowl, stir sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in nuts and coconut. Spread over preserves in pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until top is browned. Cool pan on a wire rack. Chill before cutting into squares. Yield: 48 servings.

1 cup Butter or butter crisco at -- room temperature
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Light brown sugar -- firm pack
2/3 cup Dark corn syrup
6 large Eggs
6 ounces Unsweetened chocolate
2 cups Flour
2 cups Walnuts or pecans -- coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract

Butter the bottom and sides of two 8x8" square pans. (Do not use one 9x13" pan, batter is so rich the center won't cook as well). In a large mixer bowl, stir togerher until blended: butter, both sugars, and syrup. Stir in eggs, one at time until blended. In a small saucepan, over very low heat, melt the chocolate, stir into sugar mixture until well blended. Add almond extract and flour and stir until well blended. Add the nuts (I add chocolate chips sometimes, too) and stir until evenly distributed. Turn into prepared pans, spread evenly. Bake at 350~ till toothpick comes out clean - about 40 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool. Refrigerate uncovered till cool and cut into bars. These freeze well and can be eaten right out of the freezer without defrosting.