Johnny Appleseed Squares
(Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 115.
This recipe was a bit of a mess - actually it was a big mess - as Michael is prone to saying "It is a Maida Mess". But it was a delicious mess.
First off, the recipe did not stick together well. I did place it in the freezer, as Maida instructed, but it was still difficult to cut into squares. Smaller apple slices would have helped and if you attempt the recipe, I would recommend very small apple slices because slicing into the apple is difficult and the apple pieces want to slide out of the squares (especially when eating them).
After slicing the squares and storing them, the mixture became even softer and mushier. Still, this is quite a tasty treat and would be an unqualified hit if they were firmer. Perhaps I did not bake them long enough (although I did the full 30 minutes as directed).
This makes 16 to 24 squares, depending on how you cut them.
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg or mace
1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
4 oz. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 to 3 firm cooking apples (preferably Granny Smith or Jonathan)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cut into medium-sized pieces
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 x 1 3/4 square inch pan with foil. Butter the foil and place it in the freezer until ready to use.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Stir in the oats and sugar.
In a small bowl, mix together the butter, egg and vanilla. Mix it into the oat mixture.
Press one half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside.
Place the remaining dough between two layers of wax paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 9-inch square. You can peel back the paper to adjust the mixture until it is the appropriate size for your pan. Place this sheet of dough back into the freezer for a few minutes.
Retrieve the first pan of dough that you prepared and arrange the apples over them. The recipes says "place the apples in rows, each slice overlapping another, to cover the bottom of the dough. Sprinkle with nuts." As I mentioned earlier in the introduction, I found that I sliced the apples too large so I would advise cutting them much smaller.
Now take the rolled-out dough from the freezer and peel away the wax paper. Place the dough over the apples in the pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before done, check the top and see if it is brown enough. If it isn't, raise the oven rack to a higher position.
Cool in the pan. It is best to chill before slicing. Cut into bars or squares.
