Apple Pie Bars

Thanks to a sale at Costco, and my forgetful nature, I now have close to two dozen apples at my house. Now, I love apples... But I really can't eat more than one (maybe two) in a given day. So naturally, I saw this as a challenge.

How many apple-y things can I make before 1) I turn into an apple myself, 2) I develop an apple-intolerance or 3) the apples go bad?

Challenge accepted.

Results? Deliciousness.

Apple Pie Bars

adapted from Allrecipes.com

So much delicious happening right here.

Bars
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon rum (or vanilla extract)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup chopped apple

Topping
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. 

3. In a smaller bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices.

4.  Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture.

5. Stir in chopped apple.

6. Spread into prepared pan.

7. In a small bowl, mix together remaining cinnamon, sugar and cardamom. Sprinkle over the top of the apple mixture.

8. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

9. After they have cooled, cut them into squares.

Drunken Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

I'm not sure what your doctor would have to say about it, but downing --at least-- one of these apple-based bad boys a day sounds like a genius idea to me.

I have been trying to concoct a cupcake that perfectly marries the combination of salty and sweet that my taste buds seem to be constantly craving. I wanted a kettle korn cupcake, but I know that no matter what I do I won't be able to capture that perfect crunch. I'm not sure kettle korn is really meant to be any thing other than, well, kettle korn.

But with a bowl of apples slowly over ripening on my kitchen table and salted caramel mochas on the menu at Starbucks, and idea came to me....

Drunken Apple Cupcakes

with Salted Caramel Icing

 Photo by Jessica Y.

The perfect combination of salty and sweet: salted caramel frosting and rum-drunk apple cake. 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup applesauce, at room temperature
2 large eggs
3 tsp rum
1 cup finely grated Granny Smith Apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside. 

3. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, blend together butter, sugar and applesauce until well blended and fluffy, about 1 minute. 

4. Add in eggs one at a time mixing until combine after each addition. Blend in rum. 

5. With mixer on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and mix just until combine. Fold in finely grated apples (as well as the juice of the grated apples). 

6. Divide batter among paper lined muffin cups filling each cup halfway. 

7. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven 17 - 19 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. 

Icing 

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup Caramel Sauce (homemade or store bought... depending on how motivated you are)
1 tsp rum

1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, whip butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. 

2. Add powdered sugar and blend on low speed until mixture comes together. 

3. Add caramel sauce and rum and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy about 3 - 4 minutes.

4. Frost your cooled cupcakes!