Always a favorite, this three-part square (shortbread base, topping, and icing), known simply as “Dream Square”, is a treat! Sometimes referred to as a vintage or retro square, I’m not sure it has ever been “shelved” long enough in history to put it in that category! This is a square that is, in my view, perennially in vogue. Continue reading Decadent Dream Square Recipe
This lovely Cranberry Shortbread Square with a tender, buttery shortbread crust features cranberry sauce as an ingredient in the topping. The sauce adds lovely flavor and texture making the square rich and delectable. Continue reading Cranberry Shortbread Square Recipe
I call this type of square the “three-piece suit” of squares. That’s because there are three components to the square: 1) a tender, buttery shortbread crust; 2) a topping or filling; and 3) a buttery icing. This delectable Pecan Shortbread Square is always one that calls for a second piece! Continue reading Pecan Shortbread Square Recipe
Today, I have dug deep into my vintage recipe file for this super tasty Rainbow Square. This is more of a dessert square than one that would be found on a tray of squares where each individual square could be picked up and eaten from the hand. This one is best served on a plate and eaten with a fork. It would fall into the “ooey-gooey” square category, in my opinion! Continue reading Vintage Rainbow Square Recipe
These Coconut Date and Cherry Squares are one of the easiest squares to make as there is only the one layer. Simply place the coconut, dates, cherries, and pecans in a large bowl. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and transfer mixture to a baking pan. How easy is that!
The trick is not to overbake the square as it will dry out. Just bake it until it barely starts to turn golden on the edges and it will stay lovely and moist. It’s a supremely lovely treat with a cup of tea (or coffee)!
A simple way to deal with icing and cutting squares is to leave a bit of parchment overhang when lining the baking pan with parchment paper. This “overhang” can then be used to easily lift the square, once completely cooled, from the pan. This makes it very easy to ice and cut the square and the knife does not damage the finish on the baking pan when squares are cut.
One thing I like to do with my squares is cut off the outside edges by about 1/4″ all around the square. This gives every cut square a nice tidy, even edge.
While this square is fabulous any time of the year, the wonderful delicious flavors of coconut, dates, cherries, and pecans also make this square a great addition to holiday sweet trays. Of course, the delectable icing with a drizzle of chocolate on top is the crowning glory. While the chocolate drizzle is optional, it does add interest to the white icing. No need to fuss with how the drizzle goes on – just use either a fork or a spoon and quickly drizzle the chocolate any which way!
[Printable recipe follows at end of post]
Ingredients:
2½ cups medium shredded non-sweetened coconut
2 cups dates, chopped
½ cup maraschino cherries, very well drained, cut into pieces
½ cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (no substitutes)
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Icing:
½ cup + 1 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
2½ cups sifted icing sugar (aka powdered or confectioner’s sugar)
2 – 2¼ tbsp milk or water
½ tsp almond flavoring (or vanilla)
1 – oz square semi-sweet chocolate (optional)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving just enough overhang that there are “handles” to easily grip and lift the square from the pan when cooled.
In large bowl, combine the coconut, dates, maraschino cherries, and pecans. Mix the vanilla and salt into the sweetened condensed milk and pour over the coconut, dates, cherries, and pecans. Stir well to combine ingredients. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 22- 25 minutes, or just until edges of square start to turn light golden brown. Do not overbake. Remove square from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool in pan completely before icing. When completely cooled, lift square from pan.
To prepare icing, place butter in bowl of stand mixer and beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the icing sugar. Add the milk (or water), a couple of teaspoons at a time, along with the almond flavoring. Increase speed to medium-low to blend ingredients. Increase speed to high and beat an additional minute to ensure ingredients are well combined and icing is smooth. Additional milk or water may be required to make icing of desired spreading consistency. If adding additional milk or water, add by ½ teaspoon at a time. Icing should be of spreading consistency but not “soupy”.
Spread icing evenly over cooled square. Melt the chocolate square in small dish in microwave. Using a fork or spoon, drizzle chocolate in desired design over icing. Cut squares into desired size. Squares freeze well.
Yield: One 9”x9” pan of squares
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Line 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving just enough overhang that there are “handles” to easily grip and lift the square from the pan when cooled.
In large bowl, combine the coconut, dates, maraschino cherries, and pecans. Mix the vanilla and salt into the sweetened condensed milk and pour over the coconut, dates, cherries, and pecans. Stir well to combine ingredients. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 22- 25 minutes, or just until edges of square start to turn light golden brown. Do not overbake. Remove square from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool in pan completely before icing. When completely cooled, lift square from the pan.
Yield: One 9”x9” pan of squares
Everybody loves an easy square or bar to make that does not require careful watching as it bakes in the oven and that does not have to be frosted. Sweet Marie Bars fit nicely in that category. Taking only a few very basic ingredients, the result is one delectable treat that often finds its way on to sweet trays, particularly at Christmas.
Sweet Marie Bars have made their way into my picnic basket on more than one occasion since they are more like candy, in my opinion, than what we traditionally think of as squares or cookie bars.
This bar recipe has been around for a long time and is known by names other than Sweet Marie Bars. The core ingredients do not tend to change though the quantities may and, sometimes, the bars are iced with traditional frosting. I have seen them called Peanut Krispie Bars and a variation called Scotheroos that call for some butterscotch chips. There are probably other names for these bars and their variation(s). Regardless what they are called, they are one delectable treat any time of the year!
[Printable recipe follows]
Ingredients:
2 cups crispy rice cereal (e.g., Rice Krispies)
¾ cup salted peanuts
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup golden corn syrup
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp butter
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate pieces or squares
¼ cup peanut butter
2 tsp butter
Method:
Line a 9”x9” square baking pan with tin foil and spray lightly with cooking spray (or grease with butter).
Stir the crispy rice cereal and salted peanuts together in a large heat-proof bowl (e.g., glass or stainless steel). Set aside.
In medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan placed over low heat, combine the peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Stir until mixture is blended and heated. Do not boil.
Remove saucepan from heat and pour mixture over the cereal and peanut mixture. Stir to mix. Press mixture into prepared baking pan.
For topping, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, a few seconds at a time. When chocolate is about half melted, stir in the peanut butter and butter. Continue to microwave in short bursts of seconds until chocolate is melted. Pour the topping over the square in pan and smooth with a knife or small flat metal spatula. Let cool completely to room temperature before lifting square from pan and cutting it into squares or bars of desired size. Square may cut out better if cooled square has been placed in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Yield: One (1) 9” pan of squares/bars
Yield: One (1) 9” pan of squares/bars
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These delightful no-bake bars are almost like candy! Bar none, these classic Nanaimo Bars are my all-time favorite bars. They consist of three layers: 1) a chocolate base consisting of graham wafer crumbs, nuts, cocoa, and coconut; 2) a soft yellow-colored custard-flavored filling made primarily with icing sugar and custard powder; and 3) a rich chocolate ganache topping.
There is a lot of mystery around the history and exact origins of the decadent Nanaimo Bars. The history has been traced back to the early 1950s when a square, simply called “Chocolate Square” (with the ingredients we know today as “Nanaimo Bars”), appeared in the 1952 Women’s Auxiliary of the Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook in British Columbia. Shortly after, circa 1953, the same recipe appeared, under the name of “Nanaimo Bars” in the Edith Adams Cookbook (14th edition). Both recipes have the same common ingredients. As to who the precise creator of the recipe was, however, has not been definitively determined and the square, or bar, has gone by several names over the years, including New York Slice, Smog Squares, and London Fog Bars. Whomever it was, they created a sure winner that has endured throughout the years and the treat is commonly known as Nanaimo Bars!
These bars are not difficult to make but they do take a little time since there are three parts to the bars — a base, filling, and topping. I recommend making the base in the top of a double boiler or, alternatively, in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. The base can be made in a heavy-bottomed saucepan but it can set up rather quickly using this method and there is always the danger of scorching the ingredients.
For the filling, I use Bird’s brand vanilla custard powder,usually found in the baking aisle of Canadian supermarkets. However, any vanilla custard powder may be used in this recipe. Many recipes for Nanaimo Bars only use a couple of tablespoons of custard powder. However, I find that makes the filling too soft and squishy for handling. I use 3 1/2 tablespoons of custard powder in my recipe and find it gives a lovely velvety textured filling that will hold its own when handled.
While they are called “bars”, I cut mine into squares and, from a 9″x9″ pan, I get 25 delectable squares. These need to be kept refrigerated, or frozen for longer storage.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
Base:
½ cup butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp cocoa
1 extra-large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Filling:
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
2½ tbsp whipping cream (35%)
3½ tbsp vanilla custard powder
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 cups sifted icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar)
Topping:
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
Method:
Line 9” square pan with parchment paper leaving enough overhang to easily lift finished square from pan for cutting.
Base: In bottom of double boiler, bring about 2” of water to the simmer point (around 200°F). Maintain the water at this simmer point over medium-low heat. In the top of the double boiler, melt the butter and then add the sugar and cocoa powder. Stir to combine ingredients. Whisk in the egg. Stir until mixture thickens. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press mixture into prepared pan. Cool in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
Filling: In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and whipping cream together. Add the vanilla. Blend in the custard powder followed by the icing sugar, beating until mixture is smooth. If mixture appears too stiff, add 1-2 teaspoons whipping cream and beat mixture well to combine (note, however, that mixture should not be soupy). Spread evenly over cooled base. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
Topping: In small saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring to mix. Spread evenly over chilled filling. Refrigerate to set chocolate, approximately 30 minutes. Use a sharp, flat blade knife to cut into squares.
Refrigerate bars in single layer in airtight container for up to 5 days or, for longer storage, freeze in airtight container.
Yield: 1 - 9"x9" pan, approximately 25 squares
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This no-bake chocolate coconut square is one of the easiest to make and it does not take a lot of ingredients. The recipe calls for graham wafer crumbs – to make this square gluten-free, use gluten-free graham style crumbs. There may be a number of brands of these crumbs available. I use the Kinnikinnick brand. In fact, the squares in the photos in this post are made with these gluten-free crumbs.
This square is almost candy-bar quality. It is not a thick square but it is rich, moist, and very tasty! A great treat anytime and a sure favorite on any sweet tray.
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 extra large egg, room temperature, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
Method:
Line 9”x9” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough paper overhang that finished square can be lifted from the pan for easy icing and cutting.
Combine butter, sugars, and cocoa in medium-sized heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until butters melt and ingredients are combined and heated. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Do not boil.
Add the beaten egg and vanilla. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add the graham wafer crumbs, coconut, and pecans. Stir to combine ingredients well.
Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Cool. Ice with buttercream icing (recipe follows). Cut into squares of desired size.
Ingredients:
2 cups sifted powdered sugar (aka icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar)
3 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
2½ tbsp water
½ tsp almond flavoring
1 – oz square semi-sweet chocolate
1 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
Method:
Combine the powdered sugar and butter in bowl of stand mixer. Mix on low speed to blend in butter. Add the water and almond flavoring and increase speed to medium-low to blend ingredients. Increase speed to high and beat an additional minute to ensure ingredients are well combined and icing is smooth. Additional water may be required to make icing of desired spreading consistency. If adding additional water, add by ½ teaspoon at a time.
Spread icing evenly over square. Melt the chocolate square and butter in small dish in microwave only until the ingredients have melted enough to be blended together. Drizzle in desired design over icing. Cut squares into desired size.
Yield: 1 – 9”x9” pan of squares
Easy-to-make unbaked chocolate coconut square is sure to appeal to any sweet tooth and make a fine addition to sweet trays
Combine butter, sugars, and cocoa in medium-sized heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until butters melt and ingredients are combined and heated. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Do not boil.
Spread icing evenly over square. Melt the chocolate square and butter in small dish in microwave only until the ingredients have melted enough to be blended together. Drizzle in desired design over icing. Cut squares into desired size.
Yield: 1 – 9”x9” pan of squares
To make this square gluten-free, use gluten-free graham style crumbs.
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Jam Squares are an old-fashioned favourite that I grew up with. They are easy to make and only take common ingredients. While any kind of jam may be used, they are most showy when red jam, such as raspberry, is chosen. They are a treat at any time and look especially good on sweet trays for special events.
[Printable Recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond flavoring
½ cup white sugar
1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp cardamom
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
½ cup raspberry jam
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Assemble ingredients.
Prepare 8”x8” pan by lining with parchment paper.
With electric mixer, beat butter well in medium-sized bowl. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond flavouring.
Sift sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom together. Stir in grated lemon rind. Add to butter-egg mixture and blend thoroughly.
Shape dough into a small oblong shape. Cut off about one-third of the dough and place in freezer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, press remaining dough into prepared pan. Place pan in freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove both the reserved dough and the pan from the freezer. Evenly spread the ½ cup raspberry preserves over dough in pan.
Using a grater, grate the reserved dough evenly over the jam.
Bake for 35 minutes or until topping on square is lightly golden in color.
Let square cool completely in pan before removing and cutting into 16 squares.
Jam Squares take only common ingredients. While any kind of jam may be used, they are most showy when red jam is chosen.
Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen
This is one of my most favorite squares! I have been making this recipe for years. It’s good any time of the year and is often found in my summer picnic basket. With its rich, gooey chocolate center and a slightly crunchy topping, it’s a real treat for sure, especially for chocolate lovers.
Ingredients:
Base:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
⅓ cup butter, softened
⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
2 egg yolks
10 oz. chocolate chips
Topping:
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup macaroon coconut
Method:
Assemble ingredients.
Prepare 9” square pan by lining with tin foil and spraying with cooking oil.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Base:
In small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add dry ingredients and stir just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
Evenly press dough into prepared pan.
Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the dough. Set aside.
Topping:
In clean mixer bowl, beat the two egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
Beat in the brown sugar, adding a tablespoon at a time.
Add the vanilla.
Fold in the coconut.
Spread the topping evenly over the chocolate chips.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned. Remove from oven and place pan on wire cooling rack. Let cool completely. Lift tin foil and square from the pan and cut into squares.
Ingredients
Instructions
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