And it appears we all somehow survived last week, so um………I think we need something sweet to celebrate, right?
I’m not gonna lie, I think I reached my limit of reading/hearing people going at each other over politics all week long. I mean, the fact is that what happened happened and that’s how it is, the end. Come on, is it really worth getting so upset at each other now? Can’t we all just chill? Sorry, just wanted to announce the elephant that I felt was in the room so I could get rid of it. I’m all good now……..HEY, how do you feel about apples and cinnamon stuffed inside cookie bars????
Haha, but for reals, what do you think? I have all types in my gang when it comes to apple desserts; the ones that like anything and everything, the ones that only like cooked apples but hate cinnamon, the ones that claim to be allergic to all fruits, those that only like raw apples, and those that refuse to have an opinion at all. With 14 people living here in casa craziness it’s becoming easier and easier to get rid of all my extras as you could probably have guessed. Oh, and I mentioned this last week, but in case you missed it, we’ve got company this week. Yep, my sister’s in-laws (aka bro-in-law’s mom and dad) are visiting so make that 16 personas en casa at the moment.
On that line of thought, I have to tell you guys, I’ve been so surprised to find that being this busy has been having the opposite effect on me from what I’d have guessed. What I mean is that you’d probably think having way less time would cause me to be more stressed out or scattered than usual, but surprisingly it hasn’t.
I’m actually finding that having some added pressure is helping me focus on things while not leaving me any time to sweat the small stuff. Pretty awesome right? I’ve always loved staying busy but I never realized that I was the type to improve under pressure like this. Hey, but you definitely won’t hear me complaining about, I’m loving it!
Anyway, so these cookie bars were inspired by one of my fam’s favorites, my s’mores cookie bars! Oh my goodness, and as I’m typing this I just realized that I’ve never shared that recipe, what am I doing with my life guys??? (I’ll definitely share it soon though.? )
Ok, but back to the apple bars, they are simply a combination of the most amazingly soft and delicious cookie base and a classic cinnamon apple filling like what you fill a pie with. Of course, then I couldn’t resist the urge to drizzle them with something extra (I’ve got issues) so I added a little bit of icing to dress them up. If you want you could skip that part I guess (#boringpeopleoftheworldunite), but I’m a frosting fanatic so I seriously cannot.
Alrighty, now that I’ve explained why you have to make these I’m gonna shut up so you can. Oooohhh, and don’t forget to sip something cozy and hot with them like a chai latte or some spiced cider, yum!!!! Enjoy, you guys!
Ingredients
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- 4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
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- 3/4 cup(1 1/2 sticks) butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely ground
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C) and grease an 8×8 or 9×11 inch pan with butter or oil. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and add your apples. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the apples are starting to get soft and darken. Combine the salt, sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix to combine, then add to the pan along with the vinegar. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes longer until, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to melt and caramelize. Remove pan from heat and set aside until needed.
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- In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until creamed. Add egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla and beat until mixed. Add the flour and graham crumbs and beat until well combined.
- Spread about 1/2 of the dough in the baking dish and bake for about 8 – 10 minutes until the top starts just barely browning. Remove from oven and scrape out your pan of apple mixture over the dough. Spread to even out then crumble the remaining 1/2 of the dough over top and return to the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until the top is starting to turn golden brown. Remove pan from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
- Whisk the melted butter, milk, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl. Add the powdered sugar and stir gently until you have a smooth icing. Use a fork or fine tipped pastry bag to drizzle over the bars after you cut them.
