We've been eating a lot of apples lately, so to get rid of a few, I made this yummy looking Crumb-Topped Apple Slab Pie from Better Homes & Gardens. I made some changes and it turned out to be a delicious cross between apple crisp, apple pie and these apple dessert bars I've made. Winner! I did use my favorite Lion House pie crust with oats- it's tried and true and I thought it'd work beautifully with the oat topping.
I also used whole wheat flour throughout and that helped me justify eating it for breakfast. Where Apple Pie and Apple Crisp tend to fall apart when serving, this dessert holds together and makes for great presentation.
Crumb Topped Apple Pie Bars
Oatmeal Crisp Pastry Dough from my Lion House Bakery cookbook
{I only used half the pie crust dough for the Apple Pie Bars- the other half can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the fridge/ frozen until you're ready to use!}
Mix together egg, vinegar and enough ice water to measure 1 cup. Add to flour mixture and mix well.
- 4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 TBSP packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups shortening
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg
- 1 TBSP vinegar
- ice water
Mix together egg, vinegar and enough ice water to measure 1 cup. Add to flour mixture and mix well.
Apples:
- about 7-8 apples, peeled, cored & sliced
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Toss everything into a large bowl and stir to combine. I opted to add it all to a ziplock bag, closed it, then shook it around. It worked great! Let the apples sit in the fridge until you're ready for them.
Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Combine all ingredients until crumbly using a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or whatever you think will work!
To assemble the dessert:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is preheating, mix up the pie crust. Spray a 9x13 or 8x12 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crust dough into a 10-inch rectangle that's about 1/4" thick. Wrap it around the rolling pin and unroll it into the prepared baking pan. Ease dough into the pan and up the sides. It sounds more difficult than it really is! Make adjustments around the edges of the crust by trimming from a too-long edge and filling in on a shorter edge. Make the crust go all the way up to the top of the sides as it will shrink down a bit after baking. Take a fork and poke about 10 times along the bottom of the dish.
Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.
After crust is done with the preliminary baking, dump apple mixture on top of the baked crust. Spread evenly. Sprinkle with Crumb Topping (pan will be full).
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender. If necessary to prevent over-browning, cover top with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, caramel topping and serve.
Store in the fridge. Re-heat the next morning and enjoy for breakfast!
