Apple Pastry Squares

 

Baking with cornflakes that's right cornflakes!  A grown woman is not suppose to get this excited about cornflakes, I know that.  But, when I saw the bin filled with organic cornflakes my heart started racing and not in a bad way as I started to think about the heavenly cookies made with mashed cornflakes that I used to buy at a small bakery in Chester, a small mountain town in Northern California  next to Lake Almanor.  Then I remembered the dozen Fuji apples sitting on my counter at home.  I realized that I could have my cornflakes and eat them with apples too.

 

I'm not sure how my photos are going to look as there was absolutely zero natural light today!  I even tried lighting my photos with a flashlight, so sad.  Then I discovered the miracle of adding light and words, forgive me but it was so much fun to pen little messages with the photo shop tool on my computer.  I did get a tad carried away but I regained control and did include a few pictures without words, whew:) 

 

I forgot I also tried to light my photos the old fashioned way with candle light!  Isn't this a nice dramatic effect?

One more message written on pastry as if pastry could speak and this is what it would say....

 

Thank you for reading my mind and covering me with cornflakes, I knew I liked you:)

Now I know I love you because you added Fuji apples, sugar, nuts and spices!

I forgive you for baking me in the oven at a high temperature, but it was worth the pain for such beautiful results!

Thanks for cooling me off with vanilla ice cream, friends for life:)

Ingredients and Directions for Apple Pastry Squares

2 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into bits

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

Large pinch salt

10 Fuji apples

1/2 cup sugar

1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 cups cornflakes

2 cups almonds and walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

In a medium size bowl cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your finger tips.  Make a well in the center of this mixture, add the egg and the milk and mix to form dough. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 16" jelly roll pan.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples in a large bowl.  Mix in the sugar, spices and nuts. 

Pull the dough out of the fridge, press it evenly into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with cornflakes.  Cover the cornflake layer with the apple mixture and bake for 1 hour.  Remove to a wire rack and cool slightly before slicing.  Makes a generous amount;)