Aprons and bar cookies

I love vintage aprons, they combine works of art with the practical side of homemaking. So I was looking forward to receiving the latest issue of MaryJanesFarm magazine, which is shining their literary light on aprons this time.

It was with great delight that I propped my feet on the sofa yesterday after dinner and read through the issue from cover to cover (with one aged, striped cat on top of my legs).

The articles reminded me of a Laine's Letters "letter" about aprons. It is one of her letters I have printed and filed. (They make great reading on a dreary, cold day).

I almost always wear one of my aprons when cooking. The only apron I leave on display is a vintage apron purchased at the huge Brimfield Flea Market last year when I was visiting my daughter in New England. Everything else is worn off and on. Right now my favorite is a vintage blue apron with pretty flowers, purchased for $1.00 at an antique store because it had a "spot" on it. I washed it and the spot came out but who is going to argue when you are getting such a nice apron for that price?

So, where do the bar cookies come into the story? My husband had to look up something online quickly while I was typing this and saw the title. He asked what I had been doing evenings while waiting on our son. He associated bar with (bars = places one goes to drink). I had to remind him bar cookies are those made in pans rather than dropped onto cookie sheets (sheesh). Perhaps I should have kept him guessing.

Anyway, we found out last night...late...that we were to bring a meal to the 4-H meeting tonight. Now, this was quite a shock to me because I had spoken to one of the leaders a long time ago, telling them we would not have time to be an active member this year. We weren't sure my son would be attending meetings this year. Yikes! Obviously we had not received any e-mails or telephone calls earlier.

I did go ahead and promise to bring desserts since My Precious and I can whip up just about anything as long as I have the ingredients on hand. Although, I have to admit to a slight panic wondering how I was going to get enough baking accomplished when we had homeschool co-op this morning.

I had to ask for wisdom in this case (yes, praying about cookies works). I remembered a chapter in one of my favorite books about hospitality where Lora Lee Parrott is describing the desserts at a church function they had attended. They served various kinds of bar cookies, which I thought would be a very good idea. I made lemon bars and a dream bar "cookie" from that cookbook as well as a Kentucky Derbie Pie (right now in the frig to cool enough to cut into bars rather than pie shapes). I was very pleased with both of the bar cookies and they were much easier/faster than drop cookies. I will be giving them a large, rectangular basket with the two bar cookies and the Derbie Pie all cut squares to serve the kids. My family will enjoy the sides we cut off!

Dream Bars
¼ cup shortening
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup flour

Mix together and pat in bottom of square pan. (I used 9 x 13, they were a little flat but baked fine.) Bake 10 min. at 325 degrees.

Then prepare the following:

2 tbsp. Flour
¼ tsp. Salt
1 cup flaked Coconut (I used 1 ½ cups)
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. Baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used ½ cup of chopped pecans)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder over nuts and coconut. In a separate bowl, mix 2 eggs and 1 cup brown sugar and vanilla and add to first mixture. Spread evenly over baked crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Lemon Bars
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and salt, mix lightly. Pat into a greased baking dish (she used 10” square). Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Combine and pour over hot crust at once.

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. lemon juice and grated rind of half a lemon

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon on top ¾ cup powdered sugar mixed with juice of one-half lemon (approx. 1 tablespoon).

I let the bars cool and then cut them into squares, cutting the sides in about 1/4^th inch on each side to make them all even. We got to eat those side pieces.