Fall is the official start to baking season in my book. It's finally cool enough to start up the oven, and some of the best ingredients are back in season. Apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon, oh my! Not to mention all the yummy Halloween candy on the shelves!
To commemorate, I'm sharing with you this tasty little treat I made up today.
I had a few leftover apples from my parents apple trees that needed to be used up. There weren't really enough to make a pie (nor was I really in the mood to put forth the effort to make a pie) so I thought "Hmm, maybe I'll try to make some bar cookies with them..."
Of course, simply throwing some chopped apples into the batter was a little too Plain Jane for me. So I decided to add some cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and butterscotch chips.
To finish it off, I sprinkled on some sliced almonds and fall decorating sugar for a little crunch.
The result? A buttery, cinnamon-y bar cookie loaded with chunks of apple and creamy, butterscotch-ie goodness. They're perfect with a cup of chai, mug of coffee, or all by themselves as you run out the door for work... What? Like you've never eaten cookies for breakfast... ;)
Apple Butterscotch Bars
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c. apples, finely chopped
1 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. sliced almonds
Decorating sugar, if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13 x 9 baking pan. In a medium bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into butter mixture until all the flour is combined. Fold in apples and butterscotch chips. Spread dough evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container.
