Description
Caramelized Apple Shortbread Bars are a comforting dessert with a buttery shortbread crust, sweet spiced apples, and a crisp crumble topping. Ideal for fall gatherings, they deliver the essence of apple pie in a portable form.
Ingredients
Units
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- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 cups apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and salt to the creamed mixture and mix until crumbly.
- Press the dough evenly into the baking dish to form the shortbread base. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden.
- Peel and slice the apples. Toss with lemon juice, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and vanilla extract.
- In a skillet, melt a bit of butter and sauté the apple mixture for about 10 minutes, until soft and caramelized.
- Spread the caramelized apple mixture over the baked crust.
- Mix reserved dough crumbs with a little sugar and sprinkle over the apples as crumble topping.
- Return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Notes
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble for texture.
- Substitute apples with pears or a mix of berries for variety.
- Drizzle with salted caramel or top with ice cream for serving.
- Use gluten-free flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Freeze well-wrapped bars for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 38mg