Honey Crisp Apple Bars!

FINALLY got around to baking something with the apples I got some Wisconsin! Their numbers were dwindling from my preferred snack of apples and peanut butter (I know, I’m a child) and a few thrown in my backpack when I needed a mid-day pick me up. I came across this recipe on Pinterest for Apple Brownies, and it seemed too good to not give a try! The link to the original recipe can be found at the bottom of this post. I’m not just going to copy and paste that one because I did things, well, different. And they turned out AWESOME.

Disclaimer: If I bake “brownies” they are going to have CHOCOLATE. And a lot of it. Hence why these are called “bars”

Ingredients:

• 1 stick salted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• Scoop (maybe a tbsp?) chia seeds
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans (sorry mom- ignore this or use almonds!)
• 3 medium Honey Crisp apples. From Wisconsin. Or just a couple apples

I put my oven at just under 350 degrees (I think mine is a little hot). Butter a 9×13 sheet, and start dicing and cubing apples! That was the longest step for me. May have eaten a slice or two while I was at it. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl I whisked (you could use a mixer, if you have one unlike me) together the butter, softened in the microwave, egg, and sugar. I stirred in the chia seeds (great source of Omega’s!) while I diced apples. Combine apples and pecans to the butter/egg/sugar mixture. Stir the flour mixture into the apple one until just mixed.

Spread out into pan. It’s going to look like A LOT of apples (okay, so maybe I added an extra). It also looks pretty thin in the pan, and to be honest at this point I was pretty worried at how these were going to turn out. I put them in the oven for 26 minutes on the dot, and they came. out. perfect.

Apples pre-pecans!

You could honestly use any nut, or multiple nuts, or dried fruit, or no nuts at all.

The result from the batter! Could NOT be happier!

Proceed to eat a third of the pan right out of the oven. Seriously guys, I can’t even. They are fantastic. I’m happy I added the whole wheat flour and chia seeds. Next time (and yes there will be a next time!) I want to use all whole wheat flour and might try adding dried cherries (would frozen work?) to the mix to make them apple cherry bars. Or maybe I’ll add oatmeal. Or caramel bits! (Or a crap ton of chocolate). With certain additions, I’ll eat them before bed. With others? Breakfast food.

I know it’s just baking, but I’m also super proud that not only I can feed myself but it’s so edible that I can share it with others. Long gone are the days that I didn’t know how to make Kraft mac and cheese, or the time I was trying to heat meat sauce and David pointed out that I turned on the wrong burner. So maybe that happened like two weeks ago. No matter.

Thanks guys! Feel free to send feedback =)