Blueberry Apple Squares

Makes 18 to 24 squares.

Ingredients :

2 c. plus 2 tbsp. of all purpose flour
1 tbsp. of baking soda
1/2 tsp. of salt
2 tsps. of ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. of nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. minus 1 tbsp. of loosely packed dark brown sugar
1 c. minus 1 tbsp. of white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. of vanilla extract
1 apple, cored and diced
2 handfuls of blueberries (about a cup and a half)

Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9″x13″ baking dish with baking (non-stick) paper.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

In another bowl, with a wire whisk, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix to blend.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until blended. The batter will be thick and lumpy. Add the apple pieces and blueberries and fold in. Do not overmix at this point because the blueberries will bleed and make the batter bluish all over.

Spread the batter on the lined pan, smoothing with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes:

1. The original recipe calls for a full cup of white sugar and a full cup of packed (firmly packed, I assume) brown sugar.

2. I omitted the cinnamon sugar topping altogether. If you really want the full sweetness of the original recipe, you can make cinnamon sugar by mixing together 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon with 3 tbsps. of white sugar and sprinkle on top of the batter before it goes into the oven.

3. If using frozen blueberries (I did), thaw and drain well before using.