Moist, apple-y, and full of brown sugar and oats, these are like an apple crisp in a bar form. Perfect for an autumn day. Everything is assembled right in the pan. These bars make a terrific plated dessert served warm with a big scoop of ice cream. Store up to one day at room temperature, then keep in the fridge, wrapped well, up to three days.
Apple Crisp Mix-in-the-Pan Bars
Makes 12 (4 x 2-inch) bars
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 pounds (about 5 to 6 large) Granny Smith or Cortland apples, peeled, cored, halved, and sliced thin (1/8-inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
Directions:
- Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the salt, and the baking soda directly into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Add the butter and stir until moistened. Reserve 1 cup of the crumbs and set aside. Firmly press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Spread half of the apple slices evenly over the crust. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon over the apples.
- Layer on the remaining apples, and then sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top.
- Scatter the reserved oat mixture over the apples and cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes to start to soften the apples. Remove foil and continue to bake until the oat topping is golden and the apples are tender, about 30 minutes more.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Cut into rectangles.
Recipe reprinted with permission from ONE BOWL BAKING: SIMPLE, FROM SCRATCH RECIPES FOR DELICIOUS DESSERTS © 2013 by Yvonne Ruperti, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group.
