Easy Gumdrop Squares

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Easy Gumdrop Squares

Our annual November Cookie Blitz is off to a colorful and delicious start with a family favorite; gumdrop squares. These are soft and chewy with colorful candy bursts and a creamy vanilla frosting. They are also exceptionally good for the freezer but you'd better get them in there ASAP, especially of there are hungry little ones in the house. They are going to love these.

Easy Gumdrop Squares

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Ideal for the holiday freezer, these easy cookie squares are quick to prepare, freeze exceptionally well and are always a hit with kids of all ages.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 25 cookie squares
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup fine unsweetened coconut (optional)
• 3/4 cup baking gumdrops, cut in half
• FOR THE FROSTING
• 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 -2 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Cream butter sugar and vanilla until light and fluff.
2. Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts and beat well.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda (and coconut if you are using it)
4. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, folding to combine well.
5. Fold in the chopped gumdrops
6. Spread in a parchment lined or greased 9 inch square baking pan and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. (325 for glass bake ware)
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Frost with vanilla frosting.
9. For the vanilla frosting beat together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk until, light, fluffy and of a good spreadable consistency. Add the milk only a little at a time until the proper consistency is achieved.
10. Spread over the cooled cookies and cut into squares or bars.
11. These freeze very well in airtight containers.

Gumdrop Crinkle Cakes

Gumdrop Crinkle Cakes

I've had a couple of requests in recent months for a lunchbox favorite from my childhood here in Newfoundland, crinkle cakes. These little loaf shaped snack cakes are still made in some bakeries here in Newfoundland and as far as I know, take their name from the scalloped-edge paper liners similar to muffin tin liners, traditionally found on the bakery made varieties. A moist tender little pound cake of sorts, crinkle cakes came in raisin, cherry, and Spouse's favorite, gumdrop. 

As we wind our way to the start-up of the school year, I decided to experiment with a couple of recipes to try and replicate these delicious little lunchbox snack cakes. A recipe for crinkle cakes is just about  impossible to find, so I decided to tweak one of my favorite pound cake recipes and they turned out perfectly. The secret is to use half cake flour, real butter and I think, the addition of a little lemon extract really makes them perfect. The three I ate certainly did bring back memories for me. 

Try our other crinkle cakes recipes too by clicking the links below:

Cherry Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cakes

Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

Banana Orange Cardamom Crinkle Cakes

Crinkle Cakes

 
Makes 8 crinkle cakes 

Cream together:

• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 cup sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy:

• 2 eggs

Blend in:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp pure lemon extract

Sift together

• 1  ½ cups cake flour (or pastry flour)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with

• ½ cup warm, undiluted evaporated milk

beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Fold in:

• 1 cup baking gumdrops

Bake in greased and floured mini loaf pans or in paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffin sized cakes will take only about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't overbake.