Apple Crisp Bars

Apple Crisp Bars bring together the delicious shortbread crust, juicy and flavorful apple filling, and topped with the crisp cinnamony topping all together in one yummy dessert. Or snack. Or breakfast.

Fall is in the air and apple season is here! It is my favorite time of the year; harvest, baking, the sweater weather, the fall colors, of course pumpkins! Just everything. Every year, we make a trip, or a few, to an apple orchard to pick som fresh apples. I love to come home and make tasty treats from them. Plus I have a favorite kitchen gadget I love using to prepare the apples!

Apple crisp is a classic fall recipe that I love to enjoy using our fresh apples. Why not combine the apple crisp with a bar type dessert: Apple Crisp Bars.

When baking with apples, it all starts with choosing the right type of apple. Apples are divided into categories of how to use; cooking, baking, or eating. Before heading to the orchard check out my post What Apples Are Best for What Recipes. I like to bake with a tart, but yet sweet apple. The orchard we went to had a new, early variety ready, Zestar, that I choose. It was delicious and crisp.

Apple Crisp Bars

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Apple Crisp Bars:

Shortbread Crust: 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

Apple filling: 

4 cups apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (approx.  4 to 5 apples) 

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup sugar

Crisp topping: 

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp butter, cold, cut into slices

Directions for Apple Crisp Bars: 

1. In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and beat together until fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix together well. Then add the flour and mix together until well combined and is crumbly. 

2. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper, leaving some hanging out over the sides for later. 

3. Bake the prepared crust at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. 

4. Meanwhile, continue to maintain temperature. 

5. In a medium bowl, mix the prepared apples with the flour and sugar. Mix together well until all apples are coated with the flour/sugar. 

6. Evenly place prepared apples in the pan on top of the baked crust. 

7. In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Then using a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. 

8. Spread crumbling topping in an even layer over top of the apple mixture filling. 

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes uncovered, or until topping is golden. 

10. Let cool completely. Then lift the apple crisp, using the extra parchment paper on the sides, and cut into square bars. Makes 12 bars. 

OTHER APPLE RECIPE FAVORITES

Apple Cream Pie

Homemade Applesauce

Apple Turnovers

This post is sponsored by the Glass Barn, Indiana Soybean and Corn Farmers but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Apple Brown Betty

Apple recipes are some of my very favorite recipes to make! I love to try forever favorites and new apple recipes as well. This Apple Brown Betty recipe will be one I make time and time again.

Here in the Midwest, apples are in season in the fall. We don't grow our own apples, but we love to take a family trip to some local orchards and pick up some apples or pick them fresh from the trees

The delicious flavors of fresh apple and spice blend together wonderfully in this dish. This Apple Brown Betty recipe is super easy to make and a delicious ending to any meal, a yummy snack, or even for breakfast! A sweet and tasty treat and a great use of your favorite apples!

One great thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require a lot of ingredients and most likely you have them on hand and easy to throw together. Transforming bread into a sweet and spiced dessert this old fashioned dessert is suitable for any occasion. If you love the apple pie flavors, you'll love Apple Brown Betty!

Apple Brown Betty 

Ingredients:
8 bread slices (any kind of bread will do, I used wheat bread)
4 apples (any apples will do, I prefer more of a tart apple and used Granny Smith)
1/2 cup brown sugar +1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1/2 stick of butter, cut into slices
lemon juice

Directions:
Pull apart or cut the bread slices into small pieces/cubes, place in a bowl and set aside. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Dice the apples and place them in a medium mixing bowl tossed with some lemon juice. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix together so the apples are coated well. Using a greased pie baking dish or a 9x9 baking dish, layer the apple mixture and the bread pieces alternately topping off with the bread pieces. Pour the water evenly over the prepared mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining brown sugar. Top off with slender slices of butter placed all around the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve cold or warm with a tablespoon for whipped topping for extra deliciousness!

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Favorite flavors of fall all packed in one recipe! You'll be sure to want to give it a try!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Apple Puffs, A Rumford Complete Cookbook Recipe

Add a little tartness and crunch to your ice cream dessert! These apple puffs from the Rumford Complete Cookbook are a great addition to a nice bowl of vanilla ice cream.

The apple puffs have a slight crunchy outside with the inside a cake texture with bits of tender apples inside. When pairing it with ice cream, I also drizzled caramel on top to complete the taste.

The apple puffs recipe is on page 97 of the Rumford Complete Cookbook!

Here is my version of the recipe with some modifications for the puffs to take shape.

Apple Puffs
Ingredients: 
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 apples, peeled, and chopped
1 egg
1 tsp Rumford Baking Powder
1 cup milk
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the sugar and chopped apples. Add the egg and milk and mix to a rather stiff batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter into a hot deep fryer and cook until the puffs are golden brown. Remove and drain puffs on a paper towel on a plate. Serve warm with ice cream.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

I prepared these apple puffs and enjoyed with vanilla ice cream drizzled with my favorite caramel sauce to top it off. So delicious!!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/208643395219660261/

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

What apples are best for what recipes?

Fall is here! That also means its apple season! There are so many amazing apple recipes, but sometimes there is a big difference in taste by which type of apple is used. Different varieties of apples all have different uses that they work best for.

There are so many flavors of fall, apples being one of the most common. You can get apples all year round, but they are in season here in the fall.

There are so many apple varieties. Some varieties are better for specific uses than others. Choose the right apple for your specific baking needs.

What apples are best for what recipes?

If you're making apple pie or applesauce know which apples are best. Here are some favorite apples for eating, cooking, and baking.

Eating apples  - Apple slices or a whole apple is a great snack for anyone to enjoy. Grab an apple that suits your favorite taste. Sweet or tart there are many.

Baking apples  - Some apples hold up better while baking. Choose the right apple for all your apple desserts.

Cooking apples - Apple cider, applesauce, apple butter are all great ways to use good cooking apples.


Apples Varieties                   Uses                                      Flavor

Cortland                                 Baking, Cooking, Eating      juicy and tart
Fuji                                        Eating                                   sweet and a little tart
Gala                                       Eating, Baking                     sweet and crisp
Granny Smith                        Eating, Baking                     crisp and tart
Golden Delicious                  Eating, Baking, Cooking      sweet and crisp
Honey Crisp                          Eating, Baking                     sweet and juicy
Johnathon                              Baking                                  tart and tangy
Jonagold                                Baking                                  sweet and tart
McIntosh                               Cooking                                sweet and crisp
Red Delicious                        Eating                                   sweet

Find a local apple orchard to go to this fall. Next time you go apple picking think about what you would like to do with the apples you pick and you can pick the right apples that are best for the recipe. Find your favorites for eating, cooking, and baking and enjoy several varieties of apples!

Check out my favorite apple recipes!

Apple Cream Pie

Fried Cinnamon Apples 

Apple Turnovers

Apple Salad

Apple Turnovers

A simple grab and go breakfast, a dessert after a meal or a snack, apple turnovers are a great recipe to make! A childhood favorite continuing and make for my kids as well. Everyone loves them!! The delicious pastry outside with a hint of sugary icing on top. Then when you bite inside you get the gooey deliciousness of the cinnamon apples!

Apple turnovers for me go way back! I remember my mom, aunts, and grandma getting together one day and preparing and backing up big batches of apple turnovers! My cousins and I would help anywhere we could. We would make up several eat then and for each family to take home to put up in the freezer for later. I continue to do this today for my own family as everyone loves them! My daughter enjoys helping make them too! She rolls out her own crust and works at making her own turnovers. They are even great to take to the field for dessert. 

Apple Turnovers

Crust:

Ingredients:
5 cups flour
2 cups + 4 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 packet yeast

Directions:
Mix together the flour, shortening, and salt. Dissolve the yeast in slightly warmed sweetened condensed milk. Let stand for a few minutes and then add the beaten eggs. Mix together with the flour, shortening, and salt mixture. For a ball and leave in refrigerator overnight.
Set crust ball out in room temperature. Roll out thin. Cut circles for the turnover crust. Use any shape depending on what size you want your turnovers to be. I use a small bowl for my circles.

Filling:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 dozen apples diced
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and cook until apples are tender. I put a little bit of water at the bottom of my pot.

Directions for Turnovers:
Place 1 tablespoon of filling in on each turnover crust piece. Fold over the crust and press the seams down with a fork. Dip fork in flour to prevent crust from sticking to fork. Brush a little melted butter on top of each turnover before baking.

Optional: Sprinkle with sugar before baking.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Recipe makes about 3 dozen turnovers.

Optional: If you didn't sprinkle sugar before baking on each turnover, you can also make a glaze from powdered sugar and water and drizzle over top of the turnovers after they have cooled. (This is how I have done it in this post).

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

The apple turnovers can easily be split over 2 days to make as well. One day make the crust and the filling and the next day cut out the individual crusts and bake them all. They are so tasty freshly baked, but will also keep for a few days after as well. They are great for freezing!

If you love to bake with apples, especially in the Fall season like I do, then be sure to add these apple turnovers to your recipe list!

Our chickens sure enjoyed the apple peelings too!

 This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own.

Homemade Applesauce

Have you ever made your own applesauce? Here is a super easy recipe to make your own homemade applesauce for the freezer. You will love it!

My mom has taught me a lot of my freezing and canning recipes and this one is a must to make sure I get stocked up in the freezer each year. The fall season is when apples are harvested here in the Midwest, so I always buy the apples in bulk from a local apple orchard and make my favorite apple recipes, including putting up several of them in the freezer. 

My whole family loves homemade applesauce so it is also a bonus there. We like it slightly on the chunky side with just a hint of cinnamon. Any sauce apples will do, but I prefer a slightly tart apple like Cortland or McIntosh. 

Some Good Applesauce apples:

Corland

Gala

Golden Delicious

Honey Crisp

McIntosh

Rome

Here is the delicious recipe, You will love this applesauce time and time again, It is truly an easy recipe for something that can be a snack, part of a meal, and made from scratch, and doesn't take much time at all. 

Homemade Applesauce

(I don't measure with this recipe as it is all in taste.)

-Peel, core, slice, and cube your apples. Place them in your pan on the stove. Sprinkle fruit fresh or lemon juice on your apples to help prevent them from browning. 

-I use a large oval roasting pan and fill that with my apples. I place it on my stove over 2 burners. 

-Add about 2 cups of water at the bottom of your pan so the apples don't burn. 

-Cook apples until soft. 

-Add sugar and cinnamon  (start with small amounts at a time...this is all by taste and what you prefer!)

-I use a handheld blender and blend the apple chunks to mostly smooth. I like my applesauce slightly lumpy so I don't blend it all the way smooth. 

-Taste test your applesauce. If you prefer it a little sweeter or with more cinnamon, add more to the mixture and blend again. (Applesauce tip - if you want to use less sugar, make your applesauce with a sweeter apple or combine a sweet apple with a tart apple). 

-Spoon your completed applesauce into plastic freezer containers or into jars leaving a inch or so at the top for freezing. Let the applesauce cool completely then place in the freezer. 

                      
   

You'll love having homemade applesauce in your freezer! Enjoy!

Fried Cinnamon Apples

There are so many things I love about fall time, it is hard to choose an absolute favorite. These Fried Cinnamon Apples sure are up there on the list though. I love the buttery cinnamon flavor combined with apple. They are so delicious!

My family loves apples! We eat them year round, but in the fall when they are more available from apple farms, is when we really make a lot of different things with apples. My husband is usually the one that makes our fried cinnamon apples as he really really likes them. Often times we have them as an after dinner treat. This recipe is super easy and a nice addition to any meal.

Ingredients: 

2 Apples

1/2 Stick Butter

2 Tbsp White Sugar

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Cinnamon (to taste) 

Directions: 

1. Peel apples and slice. 

2. Cut slabs of butter and place in pan and melt. 

3. Add apples to pan. Cook until soft. 

4. Add sugar and brown sugar to pan. 

5. Add cinnamon for your taste liking. 

Don't over cook, the apples can get too mushy or caramelized too much. We like them just soft. 

We generally just make this basic recipe, but it can easily be multiplied to serve more! What a great way to bring fall into your cooking by serving these cinnamon apples. 

If you want to change up the way you enjoy apples, give this recipe a try! The apples are fantastic and have incredible flavor! Enjoy the flavors of fall!