160 minutes
Delicious apple pie bars with a crumbly crust, spiced apple filling, and a crunchy walnut topping, perfect for any gathering or a cozy tea time.
All Purpose Flour, none
cups
Granulated Sugar, none
cups
Salt, none
teaspoons
Unsalted Butter, cold, cubed
cups
Walnuts, toasted, chopped
cups
Ground cinnamon, none
teaspoons
Ground Cardamom, none
teaspoons
Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
0 lb
Fuji, Pink Lady, Or Gala Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
0 lb
Lemon Juice, fresh
tablespoons
Ground Nutmeg, none
teaspoons
1. Prepare Crust
Combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and cold unsalted butter in a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles coarse sand. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for topping and press the rest into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. Prepare Topping
Mix the reserved crust mixture with toasted, chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Apple Filling
Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Toss sliced Granny Smith and Fuji, Pink Lady, or Gala apples with lemon juice. Cook apples with a portion of unsalted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and sugar until tender. Spread over the crust.
4. Assemble and Bake
Press the apple filling onto the cooled crust and sprinkle the chilled walnut topping over the apples. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is toasted. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Ensure your butter and any liquids (like water or milk) are very cold before mixing into the dough. This helps achieve a flaky crust as the cold butter layers expand during baking.
Opt for a mix of sweet and tart apples, like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. The contrast in flavors and textures adds depth to the filling.
Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. This helps the filling set and makes slicing into neat squares easier.
Mix the crust ingredients until they just come together. Overmixing can lead to a tough crust as it develops gluten. Aim for a shaggy, crumbly mixture that you can press together.
Consider pre-baking (blind baking) the bottom crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling. This guarantees a crisp base even after you've baked it with the filling.
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