Caramel Apple Pie Bars with streusel topping
Shortbread Crust
1 cup salted butter, melted 1//2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cup all-purpose flour
Streusel
1 cup old-fashioned oats 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salted butter, cold and cubed
Prepare the Apple Pie filling prior to starting the crust, the filling recipe is below.
Preheat the oven to 300F degrees. Line an 9x12 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
Crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
Streusel topping: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I use my hands I find this to be the easier.
Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350 degrees. Pour 5 cups of Apple Filling onto the crust you just took out of the oven. Then Sprinkle the Streusel topping onto the top. Place back in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the topping is starting to brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. Once cut, pour salted caramel sauce on top. These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm or cold. The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
PS You can make caramel from scratch or you can do what I did and get a tub of apple dipping caramel in your local grocer section. I added a couple of tablespoons of milk to loosen up the caramel to make it easier to drizzle.
You can also buy 2 cans of prepared pie filling to make this as well to make it something you can throw together without having to cut, peel and core apples
Apple pie filling
7 Apples peeled, cored and cut (I used 6 granny smith 1 red delicious)
4 cups water 3 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup cornstarch
Prep apples set aside. Put 4 cups water in pot on the stove, in a bowl combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour this mixture into the water and whisk until boiling. Continue to boil and whisk for 3 to 4 minutes. Lower heat and add apples bring back to a boil then turn down to a simmer and place a lid on the pot and let simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Then let cool approx. 30 minutes.
You can use this for Apple pie, ice cream topping, strudel your options are endless. I am using this for a strudel and the leftover is going into the freezer to be used at another time.
Enjoy!!!! I found the original recipe from pintrest Sally's Baking Addiction and then put my own twist on it. I can't seem to just do thing the way the recipe says!
