Mock Apple Bars (or, is there anything you CAN’T do with zucchini?)
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Photo from Taste of Home"]
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I was first introduced to mock apple bars at work a couple years ago. My co-worker wouldn't tell us the secret until after we all tasted, and inevitably raved about them. "Nope. Not a scrap of apple in them!" she said.
I love recipes like this. They taste so wonderful that you would never guess it's zucchini. I'm not sure the source of her original recipe, but Taste of Home has a
strikingly similar one (if not the same). The link takes you to TOH's version, and I'll post here with my tweaks.
* 4 cups flour
* 2 cups sugar (I used half sugar, half Splendaв„ў)
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3 sticks butter
* 8 cups zucchini, peeled and sliced roughly to 1/4"
* 2/3 cup lemon juice
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
2. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Kind of like a strussel.)
3. Press half of mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.
4. Bake at 375В° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Set remaining crumb mixture aside.
5. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring zucchini and lemon juice to a boil.
6. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Drain.
7. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 cup crumb mixture.
8. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.
9. Spread filling evenly over crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
