Apple Squares Snack Cake

I thought of grandson Matthew as I made these-- I remember that he really enjoyed these on one particular day when there were many loads of bales to be unloaded and packed into the hay mow...

FIRST, preheat oven to 325-degrees, and grease/spray a 9x13-inch pan/dish.

Mix together and set aside:

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Mix together in another bowl:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 2 cups  light brown sugar, packed  (If you like a 'lighter colored' cake, use  just 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar-- in fact, the next time I make this, I'm going to use only 1 cup sugar, period.  Perhaps, 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white.)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Now, blend the above flour mixture into the above butter/sugar mixture until just combined, and then add:

•  2 cups (about 3 med.) peeled and chopped apples (some fine pieces, and some not-as-fine-- I peeled two, but left the peeling on one to add color)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (to suit those who don't care for nuts, I pressed the chopped nuts down into only one-half of the cake batter.) 

Spread the above combined mixture evenly into the greased or sprayed 9x13" pan, like this... 

*Before baking, sprinkle the top of the batter with a mixture of:

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated 325-degree oven; finished bars should spring back with lightly touched.  Or, test with a toothpick stuck into an area with more batter.  By using the two cups of 'brown sugar', mine looked like this:

Cool in the pan, and then cut into squares.

*If you don't care for the topping of cinnamon/sugar, you can omit that step and later drizzle a vanilla or 'browned butter' frosting glaze over the top of the squares once they have cooled-- OR, top with a little 'poof' of cream...

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The End!