Apple Squares = Perfect Summer Treat

Sarah — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:10:37 +0000

One of my more favorite ingredients to work with is apples. There are many different dishes, condiments, snacks, and desserts that use apples as a foundation.

With the sizzling summer heat here and apple sales upon occasion, one of my favorite summer stand-by treats is the Apple Square recipe found on Allrecipes.com. It’s pretty easy to make, can be doubled to make a big 13×9 pan, and travels very well in both hot and cold weather. It makes a quick breakfast if you are on the run. Simply warm it, add vanilla ice cream, and you have a very tasty dessert. It also works as a tasty snack and people of all ages seem to love it!

Apple Squares

Ingredients: (I doubled the ingredients to fit into a 13×9)

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×9 inch pan (or 13×9 if the ingredients are doubled). Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the apples and walnuts. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the top of the bars.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven; finished bars should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

The result is fluffy, not overly-sweet, and keeps for a week if it’s properly stored. A perfect way to begin and end a day.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Sarah — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:11:45 +0000

There are many times when I am left with a lot of something that is about to go bad really soon. In a recent case, it happened to be apple cider that was quickly turning the corner. I was hesitant to throw half of a gallon of it away, especially since it came with a hefty price tag. Thankfully, the Internet stepped in at that point and put a stop to the throwing away madness – for the cider at least.

It seems that you can make cider into apple cider vinegar. Yes, it was a “duh” moment for me too. You put the leftover cider into non-reactive containers for 3-4 weeks, add a special vinegar yeast if you want, and stir every day until it smells like vinegar. Strain the result through cheesecloth and now you have apple cider vinegar. If you would like more comprehensive directions, they can be found here.

If you are wondering what to do with apple cider vinegar, I can list a few off the top of my head. It’s often used in cooking like my skillet apple pie. It can be used as a substitute for regular vinegar in a pinch, like during canning and cleaning which I have done on several occasions. You can drink it straight up for medicinal purposes touted in many alternative health websites. I have also tried this but didn’t follow-through with the process as it tastes like vinegar and made me gag (go figure!). Or you can got to the 131 uses for apple cider vinegar website.

I must say that the process is stinky and the jars hiss at me when I loosen the lids. It is great fun so far!

Cook Can Spin Dye » apple

Apple Squares = Perfect Summer Treat

Apple Cider Vinegar