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Apple Pie Bars

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After buying her specialty food store, Barefoot Contessa, cookbook author Ina Garten says her husband, Jeffrey, took her on a grand tour of food stores in California looking for inspiration, including a visit to the iconic Oakville Grocery in Napa Valley. When she went there again and they were making apple pie bars, she thought it was a great idea. “I worked on my version of the bars with two kinds of apples, tart Granny Smiths and sweet Golden Delicious,” Ina says. “One large batch of buttery shortbread makes both the crust and the crumble topping.” Published in her book Cooking for Jeffrey, the bars come together quickly and are a great addition to a Thanksgiving feast.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time Recipe 65 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • For the crust:
  • 4 sticks (1 lb./500 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz./150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (3 3/4 oz./107 g) lightly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (17 oz./480 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • For the apple filling:
  • 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick (3 large)
  • 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) Golden Delicious apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick (3 large)
  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz./50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C).

To prepare the crust, place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly add to the butter-sugar mixture, beating until combined.

Scatter two-thirds of the dough in clumps in a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking pan and press it lightly with floured hands on the bottom and 1/2 inch (12 mm) up the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Meanwhile, put the mixing bowl with the remaining dough back on the mixer, add the walnuts and cinnamon and mix on low speed to combine. Set aside.

Reduce the oven to 350°F (180°C).

To prepare the filling, combine the Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples and lemon juice in a very large bowl. Add the granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. In a large (10-inch/25-cm) pot, melt the butter, then add the apples and simmer over medium to medium-low heat, stirring often, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the apples are tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Spread the apples evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch (12-mm) border.

Pinch medium pieces of the remaining dough with your fingers and drop them evenly on top of the apples (they will not be covered). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, then cut into bars. Makes 12 bars.

Make ahead: Bake, cool completely, wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Reprinted from Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Copyright © 2016 by Ina Garten. Photographs by Quentin Bacon. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House.

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