Description
A shortbread crust, tart granny smith apple filling, spiced crumble topping and topped with a caramel drizzle.
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie Crust
16 tbsp butter, chilled and cubed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
Apple Filling
2–3 apples
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Spiced Crumble Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Homemade caramel Syrup (optional)
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Instructions
- Start by making the shortbread crust. Preheat oven to 350*F and grease a 9×11 baking pan with butter and line with a sheet of parchment paper. Set to the side while you make the dough.
- Using an electric mixer on medium high speed with paddle attachment, cream the chilled butter and the sugars. You want to make sure your butter is cold, so feel free to throw your sticks of butter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to get them super cold.
- Once the butter and sugar are creamed, vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Lastly you will add in the flour and mix until just combined, careful to not over mix the dough. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and make sure excess flour and butter are combined. Roll dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge while you make the filling.
- Make apple filling. Peel, core and thinly slice apples. In a medium bowl, toss apples, flour, lemon juice, sugar and spices together. Let it sit while you make the crumble.
- Make spiced crumble. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients to a bowl and mix together with a fork or with hands until a crumble texture forms.
- Add your crust to the greased pan and press the dough into an even layer on the bottom of your pan. Next add apple filling and top with crumble topping. Place in the preheated oven to cook for 35-45 minutes minutes, until golden brown on the edges and top.
- If you choose to make homemade caramel syrup, make it while your bars are cooking. (See recipe for our homemade caramel syrup in notes the below.)
- Remove bars from oven and let them cool for 45-50 minutes. You want to make sure they are cooled and set before cutting into them. Drizzle with caramel sauce, slice and serve!!
Notes
Note: Before you make your caramel sauce, set out you buttermilk and butter at room temperature. Cold butter milk and butter can clump up the caramel.
- Start by making your caramel sauce. In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, start by melting your sugar. Make sure you occasionally stir the sugar. It is important to not rush this as you may burn your sugar. Your sugar will start to form clumps, this means it is starting to melt. Once the sugar does start to melt, it will melt fast! Continue to stir until all the sugar clumps are dissolved and you have a nice smooth liquid. Remove from heat
- Once you remove form the heat, add in your stick of butter. The butter will bubble but make sure you stir until it is mixed together. Add in you heavy whipping cream and stir until the mixture is combined.
- Pour in a glass jar or container and let it cool completely.
**If you don’t make homemade caramel syrup, we recommend these great store-bought options. Stonewall Sea Salt Caramel Sauce, Ghirardelli Caramel Sauce, Williams Sonoma Salted Caramel Sauce
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cool Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes