Apple Indulgence Bars
Created by: Angel Garcia
Ingredients
1 cup salted butter
1 ¼ cup light brown sugar- tightly packed
½ cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ All purpose flour- lightly spooned in- not packed tightly
2 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 large granny smith apple- peeled and diced
¼- ½ tsp Apple pie seasoning
¼ cup of toasted almonds
20 Almond ROCA Candy Pieces- unwrapped and roughly chopped
¼ - ½ cup milk chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. While the oven heats up, brown your butter over low to medium heat, continuing to stir until the milk solids have turned a nice golden brown. Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly before pouring the melted butter into a heat-safe dish.
Using the same pan you used for the butter, put it back on the heat without wiping it out and sauté the apple pieces over low to medium heat to draw out the moisture. Add your apple pie spices towards the end so they do not burn. This should take around 5 to 8 minutes. Once they are done, set aside to cool and begin creating the batter for the bars.
Once the butter is cooled but not solidified, add both sugars and blend till combined. You will then add both eggs and the vanilla. Blend these ingredients together with a stiff spoon or hand mixer until everything is fully incorporated.
Next, sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Before mixing, toss in your cooked apple pieces and half of the roughly chopped Almond ROCA candy pieces, coating lightly with the flour to prevent it from sinking while it cooks. You will then mix with a stiff spoon or spatula until fully combined but making sure not to over mix.
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and then spread your mixture into the pan. There is enough butter in the recipe that you can help smooth out the batter with clean hands and it shouldn’t stick.
Bake the bars for 25 to 30 mins, turning halfway through. You will know if the bars are done if a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean and the edges are firm. It may look undercooked at first but will settle and become chewy as it cools.
Once the bars have fully cooled, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave and drizzle across the top of the bars and then immediately top with the remaining chopped Almond ROCA bits and toasted almond pieces. After the chocolate drizzle has set, cut into bars. This should make around 16 bars total.
