Zonk group night and Apple Bars

Tomorrow evening is our turn to host the Zonk (card game) group.  My hubby fishes a lot, so zonk night at our house is always Fried Fish, crappie to be exact. Since it is still so hot, I am serving potato salad, a tossed salad and fresh baked bread. I had a sack of apples hubby bought home the other day, compliments of a friend, so I decided to serve Apple bars, topped with soft serve ice cream and caramel sauce. I haven’t made these in a long while so the process was slow. When I use to make them often, they went together faster. I guess I am out of practice.

First off, the apple peeler wasn’t where it usually resides. Found it upstairs in the storage room. At one point I was afraid I had given it to one of the daughters. Since the Apples were tiny ones, I sure didn’t want to peel them by hand. Don’t know what kind of apple they are, but they are sweet and very mild tasting.

As I was mixing the dough up with my antique pastry blender, I wondered how many pastries had it mixed. When we bought our house in 1965, the couple left most of their furnishings and all the kitchen things as they were heading to a nursing home. I know I have used  it many times since then and who knows how many times it was used before I inherited it.

Once I got going the process came back to me and it went pretty smooth.

This is the hardest part for me, rolling out the dough.

Apples on top and ready for top crust. Another part I am not fond of.
 Forgot to take a pic.

Whipped egg white and ready for oven.

Done and ready for the glaze.

Looking pretty good.

And hubby and I sampled them at noon. Didn’t want to serve something that wasn’t good.

Here is the recipe. It, too, is old. I have been making it for years. The cookbook  I found it in  years ago is over 50 years old. It calls for lard, even, but I use, and always have, Crisco.

APPLE BARS

Crust

2 ½ c. sifted flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 c. Crisco

1 egg yolk (save white)

2/3 c crushed cereal ( I like to use  a wheat cereal or cheerios)

Sift  flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt; cut Crisco in with pastry blender. Put egg yolk into measuring cup and add enough milk to make 2/3 cup. Add to Crisco mixture, mix just  enough that dough shapes into a ball. Roll out half of dough into a 11 x 15 in rectangle; transfer to baking sheet. Cover with cereal than apple mixture.

Apple Mixture

8 c sliced, peeled apples

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ c sugar.(or to taste)

Mix together.

Roll out remaining crust. Cover apples. Patch holes and crack with crust. Pinch edges together. Beat egg white till stiff. Brush on top crust ( this will smooth out top crust).

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. While hot, drizzle with glaze .

Glaze

2  ½  powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp. lemon juice or water

Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Rose