Apple Streusel Bars

So Mother’s Day is coming up and I’m betting that there are a bunch of you (or your dearest, darlingest husbands) who are looking for a special treat to make for breakfast for all the moms in your lives. I can’t imagine waking up to the smell of anything better than apples and cinnamon baked with sweet pastry, plus who doesn’t want an excuse to eat pie-like creations for breakfast? If sweets for breakfast isn’t your thing, these Apple Streusel Bars are a fabulous finger pastry for a late brunch or even a perfectly portioned dessert after dinner.

Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

To prepare the crust, you’ll need flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, softened butter, and an egg.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

Add butter…

Cut it in with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles.

Whisk the egg…

and gently mix it in until the entire mixture is moistened.

Take about 2/3 of the crumb mixture…

and pat it onto the bottom of the dish.

Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

Now. I read an article recently where Alton Brown dissed the use of single-use kitchen appliances. To a large extent, I agreed with him with the exception of the pineapple corer (I’m not getting near a pineapple without one) and an apple peeler, slicer, & corer.

I can definitively say that if I didn’t have one, anything involving cooked apples would happen exactly 0% of the time at my house. It makes one of the most tedious chores a delight.

Yes, I just used the word “delight” here. That’s how strongly I feel about it.

Anyway, speaking of delights, this filling is a snap to prepare–you’ll need a couple of Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced; please see above commentary), some flour, sugar, and cinnamon.

 Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl…

and toss with apples.

Spread apples out on prepared crust.

Sprinkle reserved crust mixture evenly over apples

and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together 2 cups of powdered sugar, some almond extract,

and enough milk to achieve desired consistency (about 3-4 tablespoons).

Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners (or just use a fork) to drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.

In an attempt to keep yourself from eating the whole pan, you, like me, will probably have to send half of them to a nice home…

Apple Streusel Bars

Easier (and tastier!) than pie, these apple streusel bars will find a permanent place on your dessert or brunch table!

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Ingredients

SWEET PASTRY

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup real butter softened (no substitutions!)
• 1 egg beaten

APPLE FILLING

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups about 3 medium or 2 large sliced, peeled baking apples like Granny Smith

GLAZE

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• About 3 tablespoons milk whole milk is best
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

• To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg.
• Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.
• To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples.
• Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
• When finished, allow to cool completely.
• To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.
• Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners (or just use a fork) to drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.

Author: Our Best Bites

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