Apple Pie Bars

I don’t know if this should be called apple pie bars or cinnamon apple dessert pizza, but it sure is good! It’s a great way to use up any Granny Smith apples you have lying around this time of year, and it’s a delicious treat.  Serve with ice cream, or even whipped cream.

Apple Pie Bars (Recipe originally from Cuisine at Home)

Ingredients:

Base and Streusel
2 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C packed brown sugar
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
6 T cold unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, half the amount of salt added)
3 T milk
3 T unsalted butter, melted

Apple Pie Filling
3 1/2 C tart apples (granny smith works best) peeled, cored and diced
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C heavy cream
1 T all-purpose flour
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°; coat a 10-inch springform pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray (if you don’t have a springform pan, a 9×9 square will work fine…it just won’t look like a piece of pie when you’re done).

Combine 2 C flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the base and streusel mixture in a bowl. Transfer 3/4 C of the mixture to a second bowl; set aside for the streusel. Cut 6 T cold butter and milk into the remaining dry ingredients using your (clean) fingers or a pastry blender if you’re fancy. Mix until clumps form.

Pat mixture evenly into prepared pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to tamp down the dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until set and golden at the edges. Stir melted butter into the reserved streusel mixture until sandy; set aside.

Toss all ingredients for the apple filling together. Arrange over the hot base, pushing apple pieces to the edges of the pan to completely cover the crust.

Sprinkle apples with the streusel topping and bake until apples are soft and topping is golden, 30-40 minutes. Cool bars for at least 30 minutes before removing the side of the pan and cutting into wedges. Store bars at room temperature or chill.