Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Apple Filling

  • 2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4 inch thick)
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel

  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • Homemade caramel sauce

Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 300*F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.
    2. Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling and streusel.
    3. Make the apple filling: Combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
    4. Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
    5. Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350*F. Evenly layer the apples on top of the warm crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.
    6. Remove from oven & allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.  Life parchment, or foil, out of the pan and cut into 12 or 16 bars.  Once cut, drizzle with caramel sauce.

Notes: For larger batch, double recipe and bake in 9×13 pan.  Increase bake time to 45-55 minutes.
Recipe from: sallysbakingaddiction.com