As you may have heard, geeksugar recently brought in a large bag of apples. She didn't know what to do with them, so Party and I have decided to make treats for the office. I originally intended on bringing a pie, but the pie pan has gone MIA and I wasn't quite feeling like a tart. What I was feeling like was a big gooey caramel mess. So I took out my trusty peeler and went to work. The result was like caramel apple pie filling on a thin oaty crust. In other words, it was a teeth-rotting delicious caramel treat. For the simple — honestly, the apple peeling is the hardest part — recipe, read more

Caramel Apple Bars
From Culinary in the Desert

For the Crust:
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup ground pecans
[I omitted pecans and substituted with 1 cup of crushed ginger-oat cookies. I also added 1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg.]

For the Filling:
3 1/2 cups sliced apples (about 24 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 cup Homemade Caramel (see below)
[If you do not want to make your own caramel, use store-bought caramel sauce.]

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9X13 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the brown sugar and the next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour, ground pecans and oats until crumbly. Scoop out 1 cup and set aside. Place the remaining crumbs into your prepared pan and press down firmly to coat the bottom.
3. Toss the apples in a large bowl with the salt and cinnamon. Arrange them over the crust.
4. Drizzle the warm homemade caramel over the top and then sprinkle with the remaining crumbs you set aside.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until bubbly and the apples are just tender. Remove and let cool until they are just warm to the touch. Cut into squares. Try and let the bars rest until the caramel has set before serving.

Culinary in the Desert's Homemade Caramel
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all of the above ingredients into a 2 quart saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until it reaches soft-ball stage (230-234 degrees). Remove and gently pour your 1 cup over the apple mixture.

This recipes makes more than you will use so pour the rest into a 8X8 pan lined with foil and let cool. Cut into squares and you have your own homemade caramel squares!

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