Apple Crumb Bars
Let’s celebrate apple season with the variety of delicious apple recipes! Today I invite you to cook crunchy and sweet apple crumb bars! These bite-size bars come as close to pie as a cookie possibly can. It’s very beautiful and very delicious.
No matter what apples you use, the cookies are always great. After you’ve mixed the apples with the honey, taste a piece and add a pinch or more of sugar if you’d like more sweetness, or a drop of lemon juice for bite. You can also add any spices you want: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves or vanilla if you like! Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ pounds apples
1½ tablespoons honey
Sugar, if needed
lemon juice, if needed
¼ cup plump, moist raisins (optional)
¼ cup coarsely chopped nuts, such as almonds, pecans or walnuts (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 375 F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2
Put the butter, both sugars, the salt and vanilla in a food processor and whir until the ingredients are blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour in the flour and pulse until the flour is fully incorporated and you have soft, moist clumps of dough. Turn the dough out and knead it gently to bring it together. Cut off one third of the dough, cover and set aside; you’ll use this for the crumbs.
Step 3
Break the other hunk of dough into pieces and press them evenly over the bottom of the pan, making sure to get into the corners. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
Step 4
Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Although you’re going to bake the crust again, this is really the only opportunity you’ve got to get color on it and to make certain that it’s baked through, so take advantage of it; well baked is better than underbaked here. Transfer the crust to a cooling rack.
Step 5
Peel and core the apples, cut them into chunks about 1 inch on a side and put them in a bowl. Drizzle the honey over the apples and toss to coat them evenly. Taste a piece of apple and decide if you’d like to stir in a pinch or two of sugar or a squirt of lemon juice. Mix in the raisins and/or nuts, if you’re using them, and then spread the fruit evenly over the crust, again taking care not to neglect the corners.
Pinch off pieces of the reserved dough and scatter them over the fruit. You won’t have a heavy coat of crumbs, and there’ll be fruit peeking out from under the crumbs.
Step 6
Bake for 50 minutes, or until the crumbs are well browned. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool until just warm or at room temperature. Cut into 24 squares. Serve warm or at room temperature with a cup of tea or coffee!
Bon appetit!