By LAURA GROSS-HIGGINS
Do you have a sweet tooth? I do, but I try not to make sweets all the time. However, around the holidays, I enjoy making goodies and gifting them to friends. Last year, I wrote about making tea breads to share. This year, I want to focus on types of bars; specifically, apple brownies, strawberry squares and biscotti. These baked goods are great as a host/hostess gift or to have when friends drop in.
They are not terribly complicated to make. And the ingredients are easy to get, if you don’t already have them in your pantry. Each makes about 12 to 24 pieces, and they are delicious.
The recipe for apple brownies I first saw in one of the cookbooks that are sold by organizations or institutions (specifically, “The Mystic Seaport All Seasons Cookbook,” edited by Connie Colom). These books are made up of tried-and-true home recipes donated by members of the group and the books are sold to raise money. They often are a source of new recipes for me. Many times museums—such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston or the Worcester Art Museum or even Mystic Seaport—publish them. Falmouth even has some local offerings, like the Woods Hole cookbooks. And the Falmouth Public Library book sale in July usually has some of these types of books in its offerings in the cooking section.
But as I found out, apple brownies are not limited to being in these books. When I googled the recipe’s name, I found a different version online from Martha Stewart that I am including here. Since we always have apples in the fall, there is no problem getting them to make the bars. I have adapted the recipe a little—substituted some whole wheat flour for all-purpose and used margarine or plant butter instead of regular butter. Any way you make them, these are a treat.
The second recipe I mentioned makes strawberry squares. This one is from “The Cookbook,” from the Worcester Art Museum (c. 1976). They are scrumptious, too, with preserves sandwiched between light crusts. I recently added this to my recipe inventory. I can see the possibilities in trying this with other preserve fillings (raspberry or apricot, for instance). So, I intend to experiment at some future date.
And the last recipe is one I got from a friend, Pam Polloni of North Falmouth. She makes them and what struck me, besides their overall tastiness, is that they are not tooth-busters like some biscotti can be. Biscotti are twice-baked and so can be quite firm. I have made slight changes to the recipe, but it’s pretty true to how Pam’s mother-in-law made them. I think zapping the anise seeds in the milk infuses the anise flavor throughout the cookie.
So, I hope that your holidays are sweet. I also hope these recipes appeal to you as much as they do to me. A happy and healthy New Year to all!!
Apple Brownies (Adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine)
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter, melted, then cooled
- (I used plant butter)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- (I used part whole wheat flour)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 large, sweet apples, cored and diced into cubes (I used Macs)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×11-inch baking dish (I used a 9×13 pan).
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- Beat together butter, sugar and egg using an electric mixer until pale, about 2 minutes. Mix in the apples and pecans and stir by hand until combined. Add in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Spread the stiff batter into the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and slightly firm.
- Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then slice into 12 or 16 bars.
Strawberry Squares (Adapted from “The Cookbook,” Worcester Art Museum)
Ingredients
- Yield 24 squares, or 16 larger bars
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup margarine or plant butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 tsp almost extract
- 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup strawberry preserves
Directions
- Blend the margarine (or plant butter), sugar, egg and flavoring. Combine the salt, flour and baking powder. Add to margarine mixture and mix well. Divide the dough in half. Put one-half in the refrigerator to chill. Spread the other half in a greased and floured 8-inch square pan. Cover with preserves.
- Take the other half out of the fridge. Roll that half into an 8-inch square on a length or waxed paper or foil (You may want to dust it with flour; I rolled it out between two sheets of waxed paper). Then turn it on top of the preserves in the pan. Peel off the paper. Try to patch any holes if there are any.
- Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool, cut into squares.
- They keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Biscotti (Adapted from Mom Polloni’s recipe)
Ingredients
- Makes 12 biscotti
- 1/2 c. margarine (or butter)
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 3/4 c. flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp anise or fennel seed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Put seeds in the milk and zap in the microwave for 20 seconds or less (my variation).
- Cream the margarine and sugar. Add beaten egg and flour, mixed with baking powder.
- Add milk and anise. Spread mixture in one greased 9-inch loaf pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven. Let cool for a minute or so. Invert the loaf out of pan. Cut into a dozen cookies, side to side. If they are not fully cooked through at this stage, you may want to keep the oven on. Put the slices back in the heated oven. Let them bake for a few minutes more on the cookie sheet; then turn off the oven.
- Now let them sit in the cooling oven until they are dried out. Flip them at least once, so they can brown on each side.