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March 6, 2016

Joy in Mudville

“The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;
The score stood four to two with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.”

– from “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

I always love this time of year. Nothing feels like new beginnings more than spring training, when baseball players report to their respective camps. It’s a time of innocence and of hope, when every team still has a chance of winning. I remember the first time I went to spring training, and was amazed by how close the fans got to the field, and how much fun the players were having.

After the Blue Jays had their first meaningful October in her lifetime, my youngest daughter is passionately following their spring training exploits, periodically texting me to say, “Pompey walks!” or “Goins 2 run triple ties in bottom of fourth!” (One hopes these updates are interspersed between intense rounds of essay-writing.)

Today’s recipe is for apple walnut squares, a recipe that started out as a cake but works perfectly as squares to take to church or book club. And the outcome is extremely brilliant for these lovely squares, even if that church or book club is located in Mudville.

Apple Walnut Squares
(adapted from Epicurious)

Cake

1 Tbsp unsalted butter (first amount)
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (second amount)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1 cup dried currants

Icing

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

For cake:

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add all apples; cover and simmer until apples are juicy and almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Uncover and simmer until almost all juices evaporate, about 6 minutes. Using potato masher, mash apples in pan. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and flour a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 3/4 cup butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in flour mixture, then all of apple mixture, then remaining flour mixture. Mix in 1 cup toasted walnuts and currants.

Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into centre comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool on racks for 5 minutes, then turn out and let cool completely before icing.

For icing:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, and beat to blend.

Spread icing on cooled squares. Chill until icing sets before cutting into squares.

Filed Under: Fruit Desserts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I Wilkerson says

    March 6, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    How fun for your daughter! Your squares look delicious and I was just taking stock of my (gallons of) frozen apples, so I think some of these may be in my future!

    Reply
  2. Angie Schneider says

    March 6, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    Apple and walnut are a classic combo. These squares look scrumptious!

    Reply
  3. Jemi Fraser says

    March 6, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    Yay for spring training! (but not for $50 million demands!! – hope they can figure that one out!)
    Think I'll have to find time to make these for my mom!

    Reply
  4. Marcelle @ A Little Fish in the Kitchen says

    March 6, 2016 at 10:14 pm

    That icing!!! Yum! These bars look like a delicious treat 🙂

    Reply
  5. Natalie Aguirre says

    March 6, 2016 at 11:11 pm

    I'm definitely trying this recipe soon.

    Reply
  6. Julie says

    March 7, 2016 at 1:33 am

    Those bars look delicious. I'm all about Spring Training, too. Meeting my son in AZ to catch two games of "our team", the world series champion ROyals. We've been fans through thick and thin (lots of thin) so it's been very fun these past couple of years.

    Reply
  7. That Girl says

    March 7, 2016 at 2:30 am

    Since we're firmly ensconced in t-ball, I very much appreciate this post.

    Reply
  8. That Girl says

    March 7, 2016 at 2:30 am

    Since we're firmly ensconced in t-ball, I very much appreciate this post.

    Reply
  9. amy (fearless homemaker) says

    March 7, 2016 at 2:52 am

    Ooh, these squares look amazing! I can totally taste the icing from here, and I'm SO wishing I had one to nibble on right now. Delicious!

    Reply
  10. Monica says

    March 7, 2016 at 3:44 pm

    What an excellent treat, for any occasion.

    Reply
  11. Cheri Savory Spoon says

    March 7, 2016 at 4:07 pm

    Hi Beth, many of the baseball teams come to Arizona for spring training, always many great games to watch. Your squares look mouth watering, delicious!

    Reply
  12. Laura Dembowski says

    March 7, 2016 at 8:50 pm

    These bars are so right up my alley. Love all the textures and of course that heaping helping of frosting!

    Reply
  13. Cakelaw says

    March 8, 2016 at 6:18 am

    Yum – these squares look and sound fantastic.

    Reply
  14. Gloria Baker says

    March 9, 2016 at 12:14 am

    Beth I love these Apple waltnut squares !! Look delicious !!!

    Reply
  15. Kitchen Riffs says

    March 9, 2016 at 1:37 am

    Spring training is always fun, isn't it? Every team is starting fresh, so there's loads of hope. Anyway, these look just excellent — so much flavor. Perfect for munching on while watching a game!

    Reply
  16. Katerina says

    March 9, 2016 at 10:02 am

    These squares are so perfect, I could just eat them all and then feel a bit guilty about the calories haha!

    Reply
  17. handmade by amalia says

    March 9, 2016 at 2:05 pm

    My kind of treat. I like anything with apples.
    Amalia
    xo

    Reply
  18. Caroline Taylor says

    March 10, 2016 at 3:47 pm

    What a great idea for using apples, these look great!

    Reply
  19. grace says

    March 15, 2016 at 11:41 am

    wonderful treat–i especially like the proportion of frosting to cake! 🙂

    Reply
  20. nancy at good food matters says

    March 16, 2016 at 8:50 pm

    I remember when I caught baseball fever as a kid–it was fun to follow a team, learn all I could about the players their strengths, their tics. Joy in Mudville serving those yummy apple walnut squares (looks like they work really well as squares over layer cake)

    Reply
  21. Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says

    March 18, 2016 at 5:38 pm

    Beth, your Apple Walnut Squares look like such a decadent treat – moist,ladden with those warm spices I so love and with a creamy frosting! Who could ask for more?!
    Andrea

    Reply

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Welcome to Of Muses and Meringues. Thanks for stopping by! I am Beth! Writer, traveller, baker, mother.
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