Apple raisin cookie bars have all the flavors you’d expect in a great fall dessert. Tart apples, spicy and comforting cinnamon and sweet, plump raisins.
Here is the Midwest, Fall is definitely in the air. The crisp, cooler weather always makes me more in the mood to cook and bake. I’ll bet you feel the same way.
I found this recipe recently while paging through a magazine in my dentist’s office. I promise that I didn’t rip it out of the magazine (as so many others do), I took it to the receptionist’s desk and asked for a piece of paper so I could write it down. Kindly, she offered to photocopy it for me.
I also made a few of my own flavor additions (nutmeg, nuts and the caramel drizzle).
The results were quite delicious: moist, chewy and packed with Autumn flavor.
APPLE-RAISIN-CARAMEL BARS {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1+1/2 cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cups chopped pecans
1/2 bag of Kraft caramels
1/4 cup half and half
-Heat oven to 350 degrees
-Liberally coat a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
-In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside.
-In a large bowl, with an electric mixer (or stand mixer), blend together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed.
-To the butter and sugar mixture, add the eggs and vanilla.
-Continue to blend for approximately 3 minutes or until completely smooth.
-Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in increments, blending after each addition.
-Continue to blend until all the flour is very well incorporated.
-Gently stir in the diced apples, chopped pecans and raisins until completely blended.
-Spoon the mixture into your prepared pan and smooth it evenly.
-Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool completely.
-Unwrap the individual caramel squares and add them to a microwave safe bowl.
-Add the half and half
-Microwave the mixture on medium-low power 1 minute at a time, stirring in-between each microwave session. Stir until the caramel mixture is smooth and creamy.
-Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cooled, pre-sliced cookie bars.
-Lightly sprinkle the freshly drizzled caramel with kosher salt (optional)
Don’t you just love the Fall? Enjoy!!!
Until we bake again,
I L-O-V-E fall as much as you do… And, I'll be trying these bars soon!
I'm "pinning" this! Can't wait to try these!
Oh, these bars look amazing! I love the caramel glaze.
What a great dessert for the season! I'm betting your additions to the recipe made it all the more tasty.
So nice of the receptionist to photo-copy it for you too. Your *pay-it-forward* bonus for not ripping it out of the magazine 😉
I missed you! I was wondering if you were okay…and I am glad to see you are baking!!! I'll holler at you soon!
There is a movie, Men in Black, and will smith is about to step on a roach, but changes his mind…when he does the roack looks up and says, Damn decent of you…that's exactly what I thought when you said you didnt steal the magazine recipe, LOL!
That is the ULTIMATE let down to go for a recipe and it not be there!=
These sound fantastic! I love Fall flavors and can't wait to start my Fall baking. It was nice of the office to photocopy the recipe for you…I tend to take a picture on my phone when I find something I like. Thanks for sharing!