Just Baking

I’m not one of those people who relegate certain recipes to specific seasons.  Fruits and vegetables eaten within their season, for sure, but soup in the summer?  Yes!  Apples too?  Absolutely.

I was doing some research for an article I’m writing, and stumbled upon a recipe for Frosted Apple Cinnamon Bars from Land o’ Lakes. I quickly scanned through the ingredient list - bonus! I had everything I needed on hand. As soon as my son, Nicholas, saw me pulling things out of the baking cabinet, he grabbed the stepstool and dragged it over to the oven. “Can I help?” “What are we making?” “Cookies?” “Can I have some?”

Filled with oats and apples, these are very simple to make; you can whip these up in no time. Lightly sweet, the bars are thick and somewhat dense, but oh so good. Dig in.

FROSTED APPLE CINNAMON BARS
Rich and chunky, these bars are truly a homespun favorite.

Preparation time: 30 min
Baking time: 33 min
Yield: 48 bars

Bar Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups uncooked old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (10-ounce) package cinnamon-flavored baking chips*
1 medium (1 cup) apple, chopped

Frosting Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Ground cinnamon, if desired

Heat oven to 350F. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl; stir in oats.

Combine butter, brown sugar, and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Beat until well mixed. Stir in cinnamon chips and apple by hand.

Spread batter into greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake for 33 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Combine all frosting ingredients in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

*Substitute 1 (10 to 12-ounce) package white baking chips and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Recipe Tip
Cut bars with a wet knife to get a clean edge.

These bars are full of oatmeal and apples, plus sweet cinnamon chips. Oats are a wonderful source of fiber too. There’s no need to peel the apple before chopping; leave it on for added nutrition and fiber.

Nutrition Facts (1 bar): Calories: 150, Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 115mg, Carbohydrates: 21g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 1g