Sugar, spice, and all things nice! These incredible apple pie bars have everything you need in an heart-warming dessert.
This slice has all the flavours of apple pie packed in between crisp sweet pastry and sprinkled with sugar.
You can make these bars completely from scratch or take the option of using store-bought apple pie filling!
Apple Pie Bars
Yield:
20 Bars
Prep Time:
40 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour 10 minutes
What's better than apple pie? A whole slab of fresh apple pie bars! These bars are made completely from scratch with the option to use canned apple pie filling.
Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 200 g (7 oz / ¾ cup + 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar, for sprinkling
For the Apple Filling
- 1.2 kg (2.6 pounds) green apples (approx. 8 small or 6 large apples)
- ½ cup caster sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice or water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Pastry
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (fan-forced/convection) or 190°C / 375°F (standard). Grease and line a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) slice pan with baking paper, ensuring there's at least 3 cm (1 inch) of overhang for easy removal of the bars.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand-held electric mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between.
- Sift over the flour. Stir together until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly-floured surface and lightly knead the dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until firm and easy to roll.
For the Apple Filling
- Peel, core and roughly chop the apples into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes. Combine with sugar and lemon juice (or water) in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until apples begin to soften.
- Remove the lid from the saucepan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another five minutes until the liquid has reduced and the mixture has thickened. Be careful when stirring so you don't mash the apples too much. You want to have some big chunks of apple left.
- Turn off the heat and gently stir in the cinnamon. Set aside.
To Assemble
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 20 x 30 cm / 8 x 12 inch rectangle (large enough to fit the size of the pan), trimming off any excess. Press the first rectangle of dough into the pan. Spread the apple filling over the dough. Top with the second rectangle of dough (I roll the dough out on baking paper then 'flip' the rectangle upside down on top of the filling).
- Brush the top of the dough lightly with water and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Allow to cool completely in the tray before removing. Slice carefully with a serrated bread knife to get even pieces and to avoid pressing out the apple filling.
Notes
Storage
- You can keep the bars refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Substitutions & Tips
- Pastry: you can use store-bought short-crust pastry, if necessary.
- Apple filling: you can substitute the apple filling with two whole cans of apple pie filling (595 g / 21 oz each).
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/20th of the SlabAmount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 8.8gSaturated Fat: 5.3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2.8gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 8.9mgCarbohydrates: 37.9gFiber: 2.7gSugar: 21.4gProtein: 2.7g
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