New Generation Apple Squares

I love my mom's apple squares. With a passion. And obviously, I'm not alone in that love for the Fall treat - our copy of Apples, Peaches and Pears by Elizabeth Baird is splattered, falling apart at the spine, dog-eared and worn to no end after many years (since 1978 when my mom got it) of love.

Every year, we make at least three pans of these classic, crispy-topped bars with an unctuous, tender fruit filling - two for a pair of my favourite elementary school teachers and one for our family. Usually we make a few more for holiday gifts, since they transport so well and are almost universally loved!

However, if you can read the  page above, you can see they're not the healthiest of Fall goodies. Oh, they're decadent, for sure, but they had better be for all the butter, sugar and white flour that goes into them! True, it's not like you're going to eat a whole pan (at least not everyday...), but with more and more people in our "gifting" circle getting older and developing issues with weight management, blood sugar or other age-related problems I figured why not see if I could slightly modify the classic?

It didn't take much, and these are still not an "every day food" (to quote Cookie Monster), but they are wheat free, 100% whole grain and a bit lighter on the fat and sugar. The crust and crumble are less sweet to counteract the sweetness of the Butterscotch Apple Pie Filling I used, and at the end of the day I think they're even more decadent than the 1978 model! I know my dad and his girlfriend's family, who I served it to, polished off the pan!

New Generation Apple Squares
Serves 12 (or 9 very generously)
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup spelt flakes
1 1/2 cups oat flour (or whole wheat flour)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3.5 oz salted butter
2 tbsp low fat milk
3 cups Butterscotch Apple Pie Filling

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl combine the oats, spelt flakes, flour, baking soda, salt and brown sugar.
3. Cut in the butter until it is the size of peas, then add the milk and mix until crumbly but "packable".
4. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9" square pan.
5. Evenly spread the Butterscotch Apple Pie Filling overtop and press the remaining crumble on gently.
6. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes.
7. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Amount Per Serving (based on 12)
Calories: 223.8
Total Fat: 8.4 g
Cholesterol: 18.1 mg
Sodium: 127.3 mg
Total Carbs: 41.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 2.9 g
Shared with Foodie Friday and Foodie Friends Friday

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