Pineapple Scotch Bars

Another interesting recipe from the Chicago papers of the 1950's or 1960's.

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1-1/2 cups crushed pineapple, lightly drained

3 Tbsp apricot jam

1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup shortening (again, I always use butter in cookie recipes)

Blend sugar and cornstarch.  Stir into pineappl with jam.  Cook and stir over low heat until clear and thick.  Cool while making crust.

Sift together flour, soda and salt.  Mix with oats and brown sugar.  Work in shortening until mixture is crumbly.

Spread half of the crumb mixture evenly over bottom of 9-inch square pan.  Cover with pineapple filling, spreading evenly to edge and corners.  Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top.

Carefully press down crumbs to make a smooth top.

Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees F.) 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool.  Cut in bars or squares next day.  Yield:  24 bars

In my oven, 35 minutes was sufficient.  I'm not sure how to make a smooth top with a crumbly oatmeal topping, but I did my best.  And I used 100% whole grain quick oats.  I cooled the bars overnight and cut them the next day.  Refrigeration might have helped because cutting was a little tricky.  The bars are very tasty and definitely different than your usual run-of-the-mill cookie.  I'm not sure I'll ever make them again, but I think we'll enjoy them nonetheless.