Apple Pie Bars

With every attempt at a new recipe for baked goods I find my confidence building.  These scrumptious Apple Pie Bars turned out just like the ones featured in Ina Garten’s Cooking for Jeffrey book.  How can you go wrong with a crust that calls for one pound of butter?!

The only modification I made was using chopped pecans in the crumble instead of walnuts.  Just because I happen to prefer pecans over just about any other nut. I had also run out of ground cinnamon, but had a jar of cinnamon sticks which I grated on a microplane.  The aroma is so much better than what you get from pre-ground cinnamon.  Just be careful not to let the grater slip or you might lose some skin off of your fingers.   Speaking of grating fresh spices, whenever a recipe calls for nutmeg, I always grate my own nuts using a mircroplane.  Just like cinnamon sticks, grated fresh nutmeg tastes so much better than the stuff that has been sitting in those little spice bottles for who knows how long?

This is one of those “make ahead” desserts.  I made it the day before my dinner party.  Keeps perfectly at room temperature on a cake stand with a lid.  It makes 12 generous portions.  I chose to warm them up in the microwave and serve with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream.  My apple pie friend, Mike, gave them a thumbs up!

Click here for Ina’s recipe.  This would be a perfect dessert to take to a holiday gathering or a summer picnic where pies are often part of the menu.