Friday, July 01, 2005

Caramel Apple Bars


Caramel Apple Bars (Adapted from KA Cookie Companion)

For the Crust:

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ground pecans
2 cups rolled oats

For the Filling:
3 1/2 cups sliced apples (about 24 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 cup Homemade Caramel*

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9X13 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, beat the brown sugar and the next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour, ground pecans and oats until crumbly. Scoop out 1 cup and set aside. Place the remaining crumbs into your prepared pan and press down firmly to coat the bottom.

Toss the apples in a large bowl with the salt and cinnamon. Arrange them over the crust.

Drizzle the warm homemade caramel over the top and then sprinkle with the remaining crumbs you set aside.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly and the apples are just tender. Remove and let cool until they are just warm to the touch. Cut into squares. Try and let the bars rest until the caramel has set before serving.

Homemade Caramel

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all of the above ingredients into a 2 quart saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it reaches soft-ball stage (230-234 degrees). Remove and gently pour your 1 cup over the apple mixture.

This recipes makes more than you will use so pour the rest into a 8X8 pan lined with foil and let cool. Cut into squares and you have your own homemade caramel squares!

Just found the recipe? Click here to see where we talked about it!

12 comments:

  1. Those look really good, thanks for sharing.

    I am very candy impaired which makes me also candy-phobic. Tried making brittle once and ended up with a brick of almonds! And that was only one of my failures with candy....

    Hopefully I can get up the nerve to try making my own caramel for these bars, but it's nice to know I can fall back on store-bought just in case.

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  2. Hi Joe, thanks for your comment on my blog.
    I am drolling as I type this comment. Love caramel, apple, oats and pecan combination. I wish someone would bake and gift me this. We have a small bakery near our house. They sell similar kind of bars but with walnuts and apricots.$2.30 a bar. A bit pricey, but still they are once a month kind of indulgence for me. I will definitely try your recipe.
    Love your blog!

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  3. After all your apple talk lately, I absolutely HAD to try these! They are in the oven right now, and smell divine! I cheated a bit and used a jar of caramel sauce- hopefully the results will taste as good as homemade.

    Can't wait to try the buttery apple cake later this week!

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  4. After all your apple talk this week, I couldn't wait to try these! They're in the oven right now, and smell divine. I cheated a bit and used a jar of caramel sauce- hopefully they'll taste as good as homemade.

    Also, the buttery apple cake is on tap for tomorrow. Everyone at work is going to love me! (or complain about me "fattening them up for winter")

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  5. Alysha - Both ways I'm sure work just as good!

    Indira - Thanks!

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  6. Elizabeth - I hope they are as good as they smell!

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  7. Joe,
    I made these last night and I am honestly having a hard time staying away from them. I had to take half the pan to work so I wouldn't eat too many myself. Thank you for sharing this with me.
    I think it is better than apple pie.

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  8. Hi Heather! I'm glad you liked them - I have not had a chance to make them again during this fall season. There is still plenty of time though!

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  9. I can't wait to try these! I've been searching for some sort of apple bar and now I've found it. Thanks!

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  10. Joe, I made these today and they are delicious! I didn't have the time to make the homemade caramel so I subbed caramel apple dip. I will definitely take the time to make caramels the next time because they look so good by themselves so I can only imagine what they add to the apple bars.

    Would you mind if I added them to my blog? Of course I will be giving you the proper credit for them!

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  11. Tami - I'm glad to hear they came out well! No problem at all posting it on your website.

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