Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Crumbly Apple Bars

By milly1362

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used half whole wheat)
• 1/2 teaspoon soda
• 3/8 tsp salt
• 10 tablespoons cold butter, divided
• 3 small apples, cored, unpeeled and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a nine inch square pan with foil.

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour, soda, and salt.

Add 9 chopped-up tablespoons of butter. (This can also be done in a food processor.)

Reserve 3/4 cup of oats mixture and pat the rest into prepared pan. It will be dry.

Toss apples with half of lemon juice and arrange over crust in pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and hot water.

Turn heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly until mixture begins to boil and thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, remaining 1 tablespoon butter and remaining teaspoon of lemon juice. Pour over apples.

Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture and pecans, if using.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until lightly browned.