Pear Cinnamon Streusel Squares

This recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens; The Ultimate Cookie Book. You can use apples with this recipe as well. I did not have cinnamon chips so I used milk chocolate chips. This is a wonderful bar for a snack or a dessert you can serve company. Next time I would reduce white sugar to 3/4 cup as I did find them a bit sweet.

Pear Cinnamon Streusel Squares

Ingredients:

Base:

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/4 cups large flake oatmeal
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter

Custard:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar(Next time I would use 3/4 cup)
2 tbsp. unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups chopped pears (peeled and cored)(or apples)
3/4 cinnamon flavor baking pieces (used milk chocolate chips)
Powdered sugar icing

Powdered sugar:

In small bowl stir together 1 cup icing sugar and 1 tbsp. milk. Add milk until drizzle consistency.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Lightly grease 9 X 13 baking dish. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Using pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Take out 1 1/2 cups of this mixture for the topping.
Press the remainder into the bottom of the 9 X 13 baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.

In mixer bowl add eggs and white sugar and beat until smooth and sugar is dissolved.
Add 2 tbsp. flour, baking powder and salt. Mix just to combine.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in pears (apples) and add cinnamon chips(or whatever you choose to add)
Spread this mixture gently over hot base.
Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over pear mixture.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown.
Cool in pan on wire rack.
Cut into squares.
Drizzle with Powdered sugar icing.