Apple Crumble Bars

Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients and methods, it isn't as hard as it looks. I was recipe hopping as usual and when I saw that all the ingredients are lying in the pantry, why not? ;)

The streusel topping is a winner! The apple filling is good as well. I'm not too sure about the crust but the streusel is amazing!

Recipe adapted from Dessert First

Ingredients:

a) Filling:

• 3 large apples, approximately 800g
• 50g butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

b) Crust:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg

c) Streusel:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 100g chilled butter, diced

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Peel, core, and chop the apples in 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside in a bowl.
2. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the apples and sauté for about 8 minutes until the apples are semi-soft.
3. Add sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon to the apples and stir to combine. Cook until mixture begins to bubble, then turn heat to low and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow filling to cool.
4. Line a 9 by 9 inch pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough to hang over the edge and act as handles to remove bars after baking. Grease foil.
5. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed for several minutes until light and fluffy.
6. Add egg and mix to combine. Add flour mixture and mix to combine.
7. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and gently press into the bottom of the pan and about 1/4” up the sides, making sure it is level. Set pan aside while you make the streusel.
8. In a stand mixer, combine sugar, flour, and salt and mix to combine. Add butter and mix until crumbly and the butter pieces are very small.
9. Spread cooled apple filling evenly over the crust, leaving about 3/4” between the pan sides and the filling. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the filling.
10. Bake for about 35 minutes until the top layer is golden. Cool completely on wire rack before removing. Cut into bars.

Apple cinnamon filling

Pressing the crust onto the bottom of pan

In goes the filling.



Fresh out of oven.

I'm stubborn and impatient. I'm the one who opens the oven before time is up and always eager to pop it in my mouth and slice it up for serving immediately out of oven instead of allowing it to cool.

Which usually results in less beautiful presentation during slicing. :(