Dutch Apple Bars

A funny thing happened when I chose this bar. My mom had pulled out a bunch of cookbooks from her collection before I arrived to town for Thanksgiving, and as soon as I sat down in her kitchen, she invited me to browse the lot. After studying every page of every one of those books, I told her there was one recipe I wanted to make: these Dutch Apple Bars. She says to me, "No way! That is the one recipe of all these books I had picked out, too!" And this is Reason #5,304 that we are mother and daughter. Or should I say, the (Dutch) apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Also worth noting, when I served this Dutch Apple Bar to my grandfather, he remarked, "On a scale of 1 to 10, this bar is an 11!" And then he gobbled up 2 and took more home.


Dutch Apple Bars
Recipe from Gold Medal Fall Baking No. 27
Makes 16 bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced peeled tart cooking apples

Crumb Topping (below)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix 1 cup flour and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until crumbly. Press in ungreased square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Bake 25 minutes.

2. Mix 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and the cinnamon in medium bowl. Stir in apples to coat. Spoon over baked layer. Sprinkle with Crumb Topping.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is light brown and apples are tender. Cool completely. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Mix all ingredients until crumbly.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Prepare the crust...

Press the crust dough into the pan and bake it...
Make the apple mixture...

Spread the apple mixture on the baked crust...
Make the Crumb Topping...

Sprinkle the Crumb Topping on the apple mixture...
Bake the bars...

The entire house will smell amazing!