Spiced Apple Streusel Bars

Welcome to my baking blog's first post! I am very excited to share some house favorite recipes with you guys, also to show you that baking doesn't have to be difficult or scary.

During the start of COVID-19 quarantine we acquired many apples from work. So I had to test out some recipes to get through them all. This particular recipe had been requested to be made almost every week for the first month. So I figured with this quarantine blog project I would post this one first. The smell of these bars when they're in the oven baking is heavenly.

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer when you are baking is to have all your ingredients laid out prior to starting. This makes you aware you firstly you have all your ingredients and secondly makes the putting together time run quick & smoothly. I have learnt the hard way when making a dish then had to stop mid way and run to the grocery store to grab an ingredient. I also prepare the pan I am using and preheat the oven. With this recipe I will be using a lightly buttered 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper on the bottom to allow easy removal once bars have been baked and cooled. Alrighty now let us get onto the recipe.

Starting with the bottom layer of the bar we will be mixing the brown sugar and melted butter using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer. If you do not have a stand mixer just use a whisk. We will then add the eggs and vanilla until combined.

In a separate bowl, we will mix all the dry ingredients together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing on low. Once combined you can add half of the batter to the pan. I like to use a spatula and even the top out like the picture below.

Now onto the second layer of the bar. Using about 3/4 of the chopped apples, add into the batter and stir to combine. Add the rest of the batter on top of the previous layer in the pan. Using a spatula again to make an even layer topping.

The final topping of this bar is the streusel sugary goodness.

Add all the ingredients for the streusel topping into a bowl along with the remaining chopped apple pieces. Mix together until a crumbly topping forms. Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the batter.

Bake the bars in the oven at 400°F for around 55 minutes or until the bars are fully baked where it no longer jiggles. Watch the bars, not the clock when it comes to evaluating doneness. I use a toothpick or wooden skewer and insert it into the middle of the bar, there should not be any batter on the stick once you remove it. Set aside to cool before cutting into squares to serve. By this time the house smells like cinnamon spiced apple, I can barely wait for it to cool and secretly take a fork full to "test" it while it's warm.

I like to serve pieces of this bar with a scoop of ice cream, I used Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's vanilla ice cream. Yes, they have ice cream and it is amazing.

When it comes to next day leftovers I cannot decide which way I love more, cooled right out of the refrigerator or warmed up again. Both are great, you can decide yourself and let me know in the comments. They are best kept in the refrigerator covered for up to a week.

Spiced Apple Streusel Bars Recipe: Ingredients: Bars: ¾ cup unsalted butter 1 ½ cup brown sugar, unpacked 2 tsp vanilla 2 eggs 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour ¾ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp ground cloves ¾ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 2 ½ cups of chopped apples (2 apples, I prefer granny smith) Streusel: 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp nutmeg Pinch of ground cloves 3 tbsp salted butter, melted

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 8x8-inch square pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper. 2. Starting with base part of the bar melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl and then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar combining the two. 3. Adding the vanilla and eggs, whisk until incorporated. 4. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients together. 5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until combined. 6. Spread half the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan and leave the other half in the bowl. 7. Fold ¾ of the chopped apples into the remaining batter and then spread evenly onto the first layer of the pan. 8. In another bowl start on the streusel topping. Combine the ingredients listed and mix together until it forms a crumby mixture. 9. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the bars.

10. Bake the bars for 55 min. or until fully baked where it does not jiggle. Watch your bars, not the clock when evaluating doneness. Try putting a toothpick or skewer in the middle and see if dough remains on stick when it is pulled out, if there is then bake it a little longer. 11. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut into bars and serve.