Amish Angel Bars, what is missing?
By Kevin Williams
I was looking for an easy, quick Amish dessert recipe to share with all of you on this website. I picked up a trove of recipes from Highland County which I was given permission to share. So I settled upon an easy, quirky recipe for "Angel Bars." Heavenly, because the recipe seemed so simple. But there was something missing. First thing I noticed when I was making the recipe was the absence of baking powder or baking soda or even a self-rising type bread flour. Nope, nothing like that. But I thought maybe it was just some funky recipe that didn't call for it. In retrospect, I think my instincts were right, there is probably some missing baking powder that would have caused the bars to really fluff up and be delicious. So I will share the recipe with you and you can play detective and make it yourself. Without a baking powder it was okay (very heavy vanilla flour),just very squishy and doughy.
Other questions about the recipe include: baking temperature? The recipe does not specify, so I just did that old fallback of 350. Also, the "press into a pan" confounded me. How thin do you press? So I just said heck with it and put it into a 9 X 9 square pan and I think that probably would have worked okay had their not been a missing ingredient.
- 1 cup oleo, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Soften oleo, but do not melt.
- Stir in other ingredients, except chips.
- Press out flat on 9 X 12 inch pan.
- Bake 15 minutes.
- Very important not to overbake.
- After it is baked, spread chips over top.
- Let it stand until it melts and then spread evenly.
Judy Goodwin
What happened to the egg white in the Angel Bars? Is it possible the egg white should be beaten and folded into the batter to become the leavening agent? .
Kevin
Judy - both you and Virginia pose good questions...that is the problem with a recipe from an Amish cook, I can't usually call them and ask:) So if either of you try it let me know! - Kevin
Virginia
Hi, Kevin,
I see the recipe says the pan is 9x12....perhaps that is the problem...have you actually eaten one of these? Are they "angel" because of texture or taste? I'm thinking it should have been in a sheet cake/cookie sheet with sides baking pan and they probably should have been spread out and baked til almost crisp. I haven't tried the recipe but I have seen bar cookie recipes that didn't contain soda or baking powder...Guess I should try this and let you know!
Thanks for sharing it.
Pam
Now that's a deceiving name. I would have imagined "Angel Bars" to be white.
Virginia
Kevin,
I "binged" Amish Angel Bars and pulled-up this recipe which looks suspiciously like the one you posted....so, I'm thinking it is the baking pan and they should be baked until almost crisp...but, I will try it and get back to you in a few days....I don't think anything is left out of the recipe.
ANGEL BARS
Miss Lydia J. Yoder
1 C. butter
1 C. brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. sifted flour
? C. chopped nuts
Pinch of salt
Mix all together. Press out in cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until nice and brown. Place
butterscotch chips on hot bars. Spread overall when melted.
VARIATION: May also be spread with chocolate chips.
Kevin
Thank you, Virginia, interesting! Good search! Let us know how they turn out if you make them!
Jeanne
my mom used to make these all the time. Only item missing is oatmeal. She added cup of quick cook oatmeal. Spread out and up the sides on a 9x12 then melt choco chips.... Created a soft, chewy, dense bar and it never had a name.....
Kevin
Jeanne, how interesting, so no baking powder or soda?
Nana
Perhaps the flour should be self rising which would provide the leavening. Until there is a real answer I will hold off experimenting as I can't waste ingredients.
Kevin
A reader in Florida did try the recipe and she said it turned out great, I'll try to find out more about what she did!
Martin
I can assure you that this is the complete recipe. We had these all the time when I was growing up and they're still one of my favorites. The only thing I do different is substitute the oleo for butter. Press the dough firmly in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. I usually bake about 15-20 minutes at 350°. The edges should be starting to turn just a light brown and the center should start to puff up a little. Enjoy!
Kevin
Thanks, Martin, for the post, that is interesting!