Apple Caramel Crisp Bars

This is a lovely fall recipe just fine for a snack with hot cocoa after a day of raking leaves or other outdoor fun.

It’s great as a football Sunday treat, easily cutting up into two or three bite-sized pieces.

It comes together quickly and the caramel sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge and just warmed to room temp (pourable) to incorporate in the recipe.

And all those wonderful fall apples should have a lovely place to go.

INGREDIENTS:

• One recipe of Caramel sauce
• 5 c peeled and sliced apples (about 4 medium-lg Granny Smith). You can use other apples if desired, just nothing that mushes up too much
• 1 c sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 c butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make your caramel sauce or have it ready at room temperature in a pourable condition.
2. Mix the apples with all the ingredients up through the nutmeg. Set aside for 10 minutes, mixing once more before putting in the baking dish.
3. Use a stick-free 9 x 13 or 9 x 15 baking dish (you can use a regular one and line with foil, but I find that awfully messy and hard to deal with.) Coat liberally with shortening. (I do not use butter because during the baking the butter breaks down and the water releases and will bond with the flour making it stickier. Shortening does not do this)
4. Using a food processor for best results, add the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together and pulse a few times to mix thoroughly. Add the butter and continue to pulse until pea-sized.
5. Add the eggs and cream and pulse until it starts to pull together. If you pinch it together and it holds, it’s done.
6. Remove 3/4 of the dough and place in the baking pan and press around until you have it evenly layered.
7. Spread the apple mixture over this evenly.
8. Pour on the caramel sauce and again spread evenly.
9. Scatter the rest of the dough in crumbly pieces across the top.
10. Bake in a 375° oven for up to 50 minutes, or until golden and bubbly and just browning.
11. Cool well before cutting and removing.

SERVES: 12

NOTES: You could use bottled caramel sauce I guess, but I don’t think you will get the same rich flavor. Works in a pinch however.

SOURCE: Serious Eats

OVEN: 375°

OVEN TIME: 50 minutes

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