Apple Harvest Squares

November has arrived with the specific gravity that November always has: the holiday season begins in earnest, the days get shorter faster than you expect them to, and the Thanksgiving planning spreadsheet, which I launched last week, has grown to six columns and two tabs. The second tab is the grocery list, organized by store because Costco and Smith's and Macey's each have a domain in my Thanksgiving economy and I do not cross the borders unnecessarily.

I have started the Thanksgiving freezer-ahead list. Every year I try to move more of the Thanksgiving workload into the freezer in advance: the cranberry sauce made and jarred in November rather than the day of, the pie shells made and frozen unbaked, the yeast rolls shaped and frozen, the turkey gravy made from the necks and giblets bought separately in advance. By Thanksgiving Day itself the only things I am cooking fresh are the turkey, the mashed potatoes, and my mother's Jell-O salad, which cannot be made in advance and which is, to put it directly, the most contested dish in the Cooper family Thanksgiving. Half the family loves it. The other half endures it. Denise makes it every year. We eat it every year. This is how traditions work.

The Provo community center workshop was Thursday evening this week, the first evening workshop I have done, and it was fuller than the afternoon ones: forty-one women. Women who cannot leave work in the afternoon. Women who have been trying to attend since September. A woman named Diane who is a grandmother raising her grandchildren, three of them, who told me she has been feeding children in some form or another for forty-two years and this is the first time someone has given her a system that fits how she actually lives. I drove home at ten o'clock at night and sat in the driveway for a few minutes before going in. The air was cold. The stars were out. I felt, for the first time in almost two years, like I was doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

With the freezer-ahead list growing and the spreadsheet filling in, I needed one more dessert that would hold up in the freezer alongside the pie shells and cranberry sauce — something that wasn’t pie, something I could cut into squares and set out without ceremony. These Apple Harvest Squares are exactly that: sturdy, buttery, full of fall apple flavor, and they freeze beautifully. One less thing to think about on Thanksgiving morning, which means one more minute I can spend doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 16 squares

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter, melted
4 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (about 4 medium)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.
Make the base. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in melted butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press half of the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set the remaining half aside.
Cook the apple filling. In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in apple cider and vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened — about 3 to 4 minutes. Fold in the chopped apples and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Assemble. Spread the apple filling evenly over the pressed base. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, pressing lightly so it adheres.
Bake. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
Freeze ahead (optional). Once fully cooled, cut into squares and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apple Harvest Squares — The Freezer-Ahead Dessert That Earned Its Place on the Spreadsheet