recipe: apple pie bars

Before Camille and Matt came over for the ultimate macaroni and cheese experience, I was playing around on Facebook and saw photos that my friend Jennnifer posted of homemade apple pie bars. And they looked so good that decided to add them to the menu for that evening. They ended up tasting as good as they looked in her photos. They're sweet. They're tart. They taste like fall.

So I got the recipe from Jennifer on Facebook, who got it from a blogger at A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock and Roll, who originally read it in an old church cookbook. I commend those church ladies for coming up with a delicious fall apple recipe, and I commend social media for giving this recipe some legs.

Apple Pie Bars

Adapted from A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock and Roll

• 2 1/4 cups flour, divided
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup butter, cut into pieces
• 4 cups apples, peeled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• lemon juice as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a food processor, add 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, egg yolks, and butter. Pulse until butter is the size of peas.

In a medium bowl, add apples, remaining 1/4 cup flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until apples are coated.

Press half of the crumb mixture into prepared pan. Add apple mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top and pat lightly.

Bake 40 minutes. Let cool completely. 

To prepare the glaze, put 1 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Mix in lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is thick yet pourable. Drizzle over cooled bars.

I liked the lemon flavor that the glaze added, but Tony thought it was too much, too sweet. So next time I'm going to make a light glaze with only 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Up to you how much sweetness you like.