Apple Harvest Squares

My friend Carla from the Chocolate Moosey and I had a cookbook exchange and mini bake off last year. I really goofed it up. Here's my story.

Last October, Carla posted about a cookbook exchange. She had two copy's of "Pillsbury's 15th Grand National 100 New Bake-Off Recipes", cookbook from 1964. What do you do with an extra copy? Sell it? Donate it? Give it away? Give it away! That was what she did. But with a twist. She collects cookbooks and wanted to do a trade. That's where I come in. I answered her call. A cookbook exchange sounded like a fun idea.

We exchanged a few e-mails and came up with the idea to have our own bake-off. So Carla picked a recipe from a few that I suggested.

Apple Harvest Squares. We both baked our recipe and published our post, and proceeded to visit each others blog. That was when we noticed that I screwed up. I didn't bake the Harvest Apple Squares. Somehow, I had it in my head that we were making the Sweet Applets. I don't know how that happened. I can only say, I must of had a brain fart. It was totally my fault. I just didn't think, I guess. I still don't get it. Anyway, Carla and I had a good laugh over it.

Fast forward 5 months

Carla is hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge #27 for April and decided to go with Vintage Cookbooks as the theme. That means you pick a cookbook dated before 1980. Guess what Carla made? Uh huh, you know it. Sweet Applets from our 1964 Pillsbury bake-off cookbook. So you know what that means.

I had some baking to do. I finally baked the correct recipe. 5 months later.

Apple Harvest Bars. It tasted like apple pie with coconut macaroon topping! Sweet and cinnamonny, a little tart do to the granny smith apples I used.The recipe said to make it in a 9x13 inch pan but I would use a 9 inch square pan if I were to make these again. The crust layer was kind of thin and I would like it thicker. But other then that, I would make these again.They were very easy. Best served warm. I recommend with ice cream!

I'm serving this up to Carla with a scoop of ice cream for the Vintage Weekend Cookbook Challenge!

Apple Harvest squares

Source: Pillsbury's 15th Grand National 100 New Bake-Off Recipes, 1964

Base
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups chopped apples (I used Granny Smith)
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease the bottom of a 13x9 pan.

2. Sift together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until particles are fine. Press into bottom of pan. Arrange apples on top. Combine 1/8 cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle on top. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup sugar, milk, vanilla, walnuts, and coconut. Spoon over baked base. Bake for another 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.




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