Dulce de leche Apple bars with browned butter icing

By nanasally4

Ingredients

• Bars:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• half teaspoons salt
• half cups salted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• two eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled apples
• half cup dulce de leche
• icing:
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons half and half cream

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 9" square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

Stir flour mixture into the wet mixture, just until combined. Carefully stir in apples.

Spoon two thirds of the batter into the prepared pan. Drop dulce de leche by heaping tablespoons over batter. Drag a butter knife through dulce de leche to swirl through the batter. Drop remaining batter over dulce de leche.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned and firm to touch. Let cool completely.

Prepare icing: in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until it begins to brown. Remove from heat. Add to a bowl with powdered sugar, vanilla and half and half. Beat on high speed with electric mixer until creamy. Drizzle and spread over bars, and chill until icing is set.