Happy Sunday!

No need to make a pie crust, you’ll have everything you love about a pie in my Apple-Cranberry Crumb Pie Squares!  My squares are amazing!  Taste the buttery dough, the crisp, juicy apples, the sweet, tart cranberries and it’s all topped with a cinnamony, nutty crumb, and finished with a butter- vanilla drizzle.

Easy to make! Simply prepare the crust by pressing it into a 9×13 inch pan, spread your spiced apples, and top with the buttery crumbs, and bake!  They make everything better!

For the Crust:                                                             

1 1/2 cups flour                                                                                                                                       

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

9 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Crumb:

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped, toasted

1/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

 For the Apple Filling:

5-6  Gala or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

zest of a half lemon

For the Butter-Vanilla Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk

Let’s Bake!

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Make a foil sling for a 13×9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil.  Lay sheets of foil perpendicular to each other and hang over edges of the pan.  Smoot foil and lightly spray with oil.  This will make it easier to remove from pan, for cutting after baking.

 

 

For the Crust: 

Whisk all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until dough begins to form.  Using both hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and a small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in the palm of your hand.  Evenly scatter tablespoon-sized pieces of dough over the surface of the prepared pan. Use your fingertips or an offset spatula to press and smooth dough into an even thickness in the bottom of the pan.  Place in the refrigerator while making crumb and apple filling.

 

 

 

For the Crumb Topping:

Using a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and mix until it forms clumps with your fingers. Place in refrigerator while making the filling.

 

 

 

For the Filling:

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add apples thru zest, add 3 tablespoons butter, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples are tender and mixture thickens. Spoon apple mixture over the crust then evenly sprinkle the crumb topping over apple mixture.

Bake 30 minutes or until crumbs are browned.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Using the foil overhang, lift bars out of the pan and transfer to cutting board. Drizzle with butter-vanilla glaze and cut into 24 bars  – Heavenly!

For the Glaze:

Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and melted butter in a small bowl.  Transfer to a piping bag or use a spoon or whisk to drizzle glaze over squares, let set before serving.  Best cold.

Enjoy every bite!

Thanks for stopping by

Eileen~