Continuing on my quest to use up all the apples in our house, I tried my hand at making some breakfast bars. I thought these would be great for mornings I'm running late and need to get both my son and myself fed quickly and out the door. I've never made breakfast bars before and these were really tasty—but awfully sweet. I would cut the amount sugar in the bar by half. They were definitely a nice occasional treat for breakfast here and there, but are too sweet to become an everyday staple around here. The original recipe I adapted these from has a raspberry filling, and maybe the tartness of the berries would be a better pairing with the sweetness of the bar. The recipe is beyond easy, you basically chuck everything into the food processor and call it a day, so I think it might be worth experimenting to get them right.
Apple Streusel Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
For the filling:
8 apples
Splash of lemon juice
Pinch or so of cinnamon, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I think 1/2 cup would be better)
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I think 1/2 cup would be better)
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
Method
Peel and cut the apples. Add the apples, lemon juice, and sugar to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let apples cook down and reduce. Add more sugar if necessary, and cinnamon to taste. Set aside and let cool.
In the meantime, make the crust and crumb.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.
Reserve 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the mixture and set aside. Pour the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands (or the back of a large wooden spoon) to push the crust into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool.
Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the apple filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into bars and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days, or they freeze well.
Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.
Reserve 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the mixture and set aside. Pour the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands (or the back of a large wooden spoon) to push the crust into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool.
Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the apple filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into bars and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days, or they freeze well.
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