Recipes from Grandma -- JTR Johnny Appleseed Bars

If I've read my e-mail correctly, this recipe is from my father's side of the family - his first cousin, Janean Tillery R-------s, daughter of Aunt Flora, Grandma Roa's niece. (Got that?) There are a lot of JTR recipes in the family cookbook - too many to ignore, especially if you have all of the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry - and two apples about to go bad right as you plan to go on a road trip. What to do? Bake, of course.

This recipe book is just chock full of intriguing things, but as you might see from the picture of the page that this appeared upon, it leaves much out in the way of instructions. And this is a GOOD page. It's legible and all of the pertinent info is there, unlike some of the others. OY!

Johnny Appleseed Bars

1 c. flour
½ t. soda [baking]
½ t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 c. oats
2/3 c. brown sugar
½ c. melted margarine [or salted butter]
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

Line 9x9 inch greased pan with 1/2 the mixture. Add 2 cups finely chopped apples. [Top with other ½ the mixture.] Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Sift top with powdered sugar after baking.

After I lined my 9x9 pan with foil, sprayed with non-stick spray, and covered the bottom part of the pan with the batter, I already figured out that I was going to be short on the dough. This either needs to be doubled, or needs an 8x8 pan, or I am too liberal on the bottom layer.

After I added the apple layer, and the remaining dough, it was abundantly clear that I was short. For the top layer, I mixed up a half batch of the dry ingredients with some vanilla, about ¼ cup butter and a whole egg and spread it over the top. It wasn’t as dry as the lower layer, but I figure my taste testers won’t care. I also liberally spread the top with sugar crystals to give it a sugary crunch instead of the powdered sugar – for ease of transport.