Grandmas Apple Crumb Bars Recipe

Ingredients:

For the crust and topping:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the apple filling:

• 4 medium apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust based on apple sweetness)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, for thickening)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
2. Make the crust and topping:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing until crumbly. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Reserve about 1 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust.

1. Prepare the apple filling:

• In a bowl, toss the sliced apples with the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch until evenly coated. Spread the apple mixture over the crust in the baking pan.

1. Add the crumb topping:

• Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the apples.

1. Bake:

• Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender.

1. Cool and serve:

• Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. They’re delicious on their own or served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!

Feel free to adjust the spices and sugar levels based on your taste preference. These bars are perfect for dessert or as a sweet treat with coffee or tea. Enjoy!