Sneaking nuts and seeds into baking and other dishes adds texture and interest, in addition to nutrition. Even a sticky dessert has more redeeming characteristics when you add nuts. You know, pecans or almonds on top of a sundae or walnuts in a chocolate chip cookie. Makes it more of a grown up dessert, to be taken seriously.

Walnut Squares are serious dessert contenders – even tho there is no chocolate in them. (Although that could easily be remedied!) They are made in two short layers with a delicious frosting added to sweeten the deal. The crunch of the walnuts against the buttery shortbread bottom will have your tastebuds doing a tango.

This is an offering adapted from Esther Brody’s cookbook, “500 Best Cookies, Bars and Squares.” Wouldn’t you love to part of her taste testers? http://www.cookstr.com/users/esther-brody/profile. Ester has written or contributed to nine cookbooks! Yikes. Now there’s a serious baker.

Note about flours: Many of us are trying to add more whole grain flours to our baking. I’ve tried the white whole wheat and it’s not as fine a texture as the whole wheat pastry flour. For that reason I prefer the ww pastry flour for desserts and the white whole wheat for a country bread.

Ingredients for the Shortbread base
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour – or whole wheat pastry flour
1 TBS packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Ingredients for Topping
1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts, divided
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBS all purpose flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp rum flavoring

Directions for Base
Preheat oven to 325 F
Use a 9″ x 13″ cake pan, ungreased
In a bowl, (or food processor) mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder.
Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press evenly into the pan.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Directions for the Topping
Set aside 1/2 cup of the chopped walnuts.
In a bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar until blended.
Beat in flour, baking powder, vanilla and rum flavoring just until well mixed.
Stir in remaining 3/4 cup walnuts.
Spread evenly over warm base.
Return to oven and bake another 15 – 20 minutes until top is golden brown.
Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
When cool, frost with Butter Rum Frosting (Recipe below.)
Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top and cut into squares or diamonds.
Makes 30 squares…or 24 if you like them bigger.

Butter Rum Frosting
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp rum flavoring
2 TBS cream or milk
dash of salt

Directions
In a large bowl, cream the butter.
Slowly add the sugar in stages, blending well.
Add the flavorings and the cream and the remaining sugar.
Spread onto the cooled bars.

Walnut Bars are a great dessert to serve your family or company. The blend of flavors and textures will dance on your tongue.