posted by copper 11-15-101 5:07 PM
Apple Pie Squares
Struesel Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened (no substitutions)
1 T. vanilla extract
1 t. ground cinnamon
Shortbread Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks) cut up (no substitutions)
Apple Filling
3 T. butter (no substitutions)
3 lbs Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup dark seedless raisins
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. cornstarch
3 T. fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 15 x 10 jelly-roll pan.
Prepare Struesel 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 into 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 struesel topping into 1/2-inch chunks, and scatter over apple mixture.
Bake 30 minutes or until struesel 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.
About 425 calories per square, 4 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate, 23 g total fat (12) saturated), 3 g fiber, 49 mg cholesterol, 225 mg sodium
Prep: about 1 hour
Bake: about 50 min
Makes 18 squares