Apples & More Apples

We have been frequent visitors of our local apple orchard lately, so what to do with all that appley goodness? Bake of course! I tried this recipe over the weekend & loved it. It is simple. No greasing of the pan required or making of a fussy pie dough. Plus, the bottom crust & the top crumble are the same mixture, now how easy is that?!

Apple Oat Squares

Makes 9 servings

1 ½ c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
¼ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 c. packed brown sugar
¾ c. butter {1 ½ sticks}, melted
3 c. peeled, cored, thinly sliced Granny Smith apples
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ c. sugar
2 T. butter

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir the oats, flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and melted butter in large bowl until thoroughly combined. Press half the mixture evenly into bottom of 9” square baking pan. Toss apples, cinnamon, and sugar in bowl, then spread evenly in pan; dot with butter. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Cool and cut into squares.

Special Notes:

This tasted sweet. I might add a squirt of lemon juice to the apples to brighten the apple flavor, and/or reduce the sugar a bit. I also only used about 1 T. of butter to dot over the apples. EASY!!

I think one of the keys to great apple desserts is to pick the right apple for the job. This recipe for instance, calls for Granny Smith, but you could easily substitute another firm, tart apple. I also like to adjust the sweetness in each recipe depending upon the sweetness of the apples.

P.S. If you're looking for some childrens' books about apples, a few we have enjoyed in the past are:
The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons

Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson and Nancy Carpenter

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss