I've been looking to upgrade my Swiss roll pan for some time.

My old pan is a burnt orange relic from the 70's pinched from my Mum's kitchen with a questionable non-stick coating that stopped working long ago. I was keen to try something new and this quarter sheet USA pan with cooling rack seemed to fit the bill.

USA Pan Bakeware has been designed with many of the features found in industrial baking pans. Each pan is constructed of aluminized steel with the thickness of the metal selected to ensure even heat distribution and maximum service life. Steel wires in the rims of most pans provide additional strength and resist warping.

I'm not a huge fan of dark coloured non-stick bakeware as it tends to burn baked goods so I was glad the USA Pan AMERICOAT© Plus non-stick coating used on the tin was clear. The coating is also environmentally friendly.

I decided to try out the new tin using my recipe for apple blueberry crumble squares. I normally make these in an 8-inch tin, so I needed to upscale all the quantities. I lined the tin with baking paper even though the tin has a non-stick coating because it's easier to remove the cooked slice from the tin using the paper as a handle.

The USA Pan non-stick surface which coats both the interior of the tin and its exterior is very slippery so I needed to grease the pan's surface to stop the baking paper sliding everywhere.

The provided cooling rack is also coated with the same product which will be very useful next time I make some oven-fried chicken. You'll need to take care when placing the tin onto the cooling rack as the non-stick coating is so effective, it slid around a bit.

In all other aspects, the pan worked well, was a dream to clean and thanks to the unique fluted surface of the pan, the base of the slice cooked evenly. I'm planning to make a Pavlova roll next time I use the tin, and I'm confident that getting the roll out from this tin will be a breeze.

Here's the recipe for apple blueberry crumble squares which makes a generous quantity. I figure you could easily make 18 squares from this recipe and double that quantity if you cut it into bars.

For all my recipes I use a 250-ml cup and a 20-ml tablespoon. All eggs are 60 grams and as my oven is a conventional oven not fan forced, you may need to reduce your oven temperature by 20°C.

All the components for the recipe can be made in advance and refrigerated. Once baked, the squares are best stored in the fridge and will keep for 2-3 days in a covered container.

To view the entire range of highly durable bakeware by USA Pan click here!

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Blueberry Apple Crumble Squares

Filling

• 6 large green apples, peeled
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 1½ tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs plain flour
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• A 125g punnet blueberries, washed

Base

• 160 grams unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup caster sugar
• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Topping

• ¾ cup plain flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 90 grams cold unsalted butter cut into small chunks
• 150g pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

To serve

• Icing sugar
• Double cream

Method

Peel, core and dice the apple into 2 cm pieces. Place in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat until the apple has softened but still holds its shape. You can do this step in the microwave if you prefer. I microwaved the apple pieces on high for 10 minutes in a covered bowl. Add the flour and cinnamon and cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Allow to cool. Test the apples for sweetness and adjust as necessary. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 9 x 13-inch tin with baking paper. In a food processor, combine the ingredients for the base and process until combined and a soft dough forms around the blade. Press the mixture into the base of the lined tin, bringing it slightly up the sides. Bake the shortbread base in the preheated 180⁰C oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. While the base is baking, place the flour, sugar and cinnamon into a food processor and whiz to combine. Add the butter and pulse until butter is just incorporated. Tip into a bowl, add the coarsely chopped nuts and chill while the base is baking. Remove the base from the oven and allow to cool slightly before spooning over the cold apple filling, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the blueberries over the apple filling then take the topping from the fridge and crumble it over the apple filling. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble topping is nice and brown. The squares can be served either hot or cold. To serve, cut into squares, lightly dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.