Apple Streusel Squares

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 6 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, plus
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
• 2 lbs apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (gala or golden delicious are good)
• 1/2 cup dark raisin
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Recipe

• 1 set oven to 375 degrees.
• 2 lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan.
• 3 prepare the streusel topping (as follows).
• 4 in a medium bowl, with hands, mix the 3/4 cup flour, pecans, 1/3 cup brown sugar, butter, vanilla and cinnamon until the mixture comes together; set aside.
• 5 to prepare the crust: in a large bowl, mix together the 2 tbsp flour sugar and salt.
• 6 cut in 1/2 cup cold butter into small bits.
• 7 with fingertips, blend the cold butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles fine crumbs.
• 8 press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
• 9 bake crust for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown (crust may crack slightly).
• 10 meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, over medium heat, cook the apples, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 3 tbsp butter for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender (but not mushy).
• 11 in a cup, mix the cornstarch and lemon juice; stir the mixture into the apple mixture (the mixture will thicken almost immediately); remove from heat.
• 12 spoon the apple mixture evenly over the baked crust.
• 13 scatter the streusel mixture over the apple mixture in the pan.
• 14 bake for 30 minutes, or until streusel is browned.
• 15 cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
• 16 when cold, cut lenghwise into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 5 pieces.