Baking with Brown Sugar...Sour Cream Apple Squares

I would give this recipe a 5 Star rating!  It’s easy, looks great, and is delicious.  From an Indiana cookbook published in "Best of the Best of the Midwest" I thought, just reading the recipe, that it was worth a try…it exceeded my expectations.  It has a crisp, thin bottom crust, topped by a very moist apple cake.  Anything that only uses one large bowl and a spoon to mix is my kind of recipe.  It was good from the oven, just cooled to lukewarm; and it froze well too.  I got twice as many bars as the recipe called for; they are rich enough for smaller, easier-to-eat bars.  I used Granny Smith apples, and drizzled on a little powdered sugar glaze.  New crop apples were on sale this week!

 Sour Cream Apple Squares

  2          Cups  Flour, All-purpose (9 ounces)

  2          Cups  Brown Sugar -- firmly packed  (14 ounces)

     ½      Cup  Butter -- softened

  1          Cup  Walnuts -- chopped

  2          Teaspoons  Cinnamon

  1          Teaspoon  Baking Soda

     ½      Teaspoon  Salt

  1          Cup  Sour Cream

  1          Teaspoon  Vanilla Extract

  1          Large  Egg

  2          Cups  Apples -- peeled and finely chopped (2 medium)

Preheat oven to 350°.  In large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly.  Stir in nuts.  Press 2 3/4 cups (about 15 ounces) of crumb mixture into ungreased 9 x 13" pan.

To remaining mixture, add cinnamon, baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla, and egg.  Blend well.  Stir in apples.  Spoon evenly and carefully over base.

Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Cut into 12-15 squares - I got 30.     "One 9 X 13" Pan"