Strawberry Squares

My little boy loves anything with strawberries, so when I saw this Strawberry Squares recipe at skinnytaste.com, I knew it would be a big hit with him. 

I checked our pantry and, lo and behold, we have all the ingredients needed for the recipe! Must be a sign!

The little boy saw me setting up the ingredients and insisted on helping me. And since I know from experience that he's not going to stop bugging me until I say yes, I let him hold the handheld mixer while I add the ingredients into the bowl. 

But I think his favorite part was when I started scoring the dough into squares...

...and put the pie filling in them. His exact words were, "Whoa, that's so cool!" 

It's weird that some of the pie filling sank (or is it sunk?) into the bottom. I'm not really sure why.

Oh well, still not bad for my first attempt, right? 

Nath wanted to eat it right away but we had to wait for it to cool off. And what's a mom to do to make good use of the time? Take more pictures of my little boy, of course!

And now it's finally time for the taste test.

And the verdict is....

... a thumbs up! Yay!

STRAWBERRY SQUARES

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup canned strawberry pie filling

confectioner's sugar for dusting

baking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray Baking Pam in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the granulated sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan. With a small, sharp knife (or toothpick), score into twenty-four 2-inch squares. Place a teaspoon of pie filling in the center of each scored square. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Bool to room temperature, then sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before cutting and serving.

I linked this post to these wonderful parties:

Angels Homestead : Saturday Spotlight  |  A Night Owl Blog : Create & Inspire Friday Linky Party  |  Anyonita Nibbles : Tasty Tuesdays  |  A Peek Into My Paradise : T.G.I.F. Link Party  |  A to Zebra Celebrations : Link Party Tuesday  |  Domesblissity : Thriving on Thursdays  |  Ducks 'n a Row : Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop  |  I Should Be Mopping The Floor : Mop It Up Monday  |  Love Bakes Good Cakes : All My Bloggy Friends  |  Memories By The Mile : Tuesday Trivia and Link Party  |  Piggy In Polka Dots : Party In Polka Dots  |  Rain on a Tin Roof : Give Me The Goods Monday  |  The Pin Junkie : Friday Link Party  |  Thirty Handmade Days : Pity Party  |  This Gal Cooks : Marvelous Mondays  |  Titi Crafty : Bewitch Me & Titi Link Party