Apple Pie Bars With Caramel Sause

 Since I will be baking something starting with each letter of the alphabet, it was only fitting to start with apple-something for A! I absolutely LOVE apple pie, but I wanted to try a new recipe! The apple pie bars that I made were absolutely amazing, and had the perfect ratio of cinnamon to apple to crust to crumble! As if the bars weren't enough, the caramel drizzle on top was amazing, and the perfect addition to an already delicious dessert. I will say however that the caramel sauce didn't look particularly appetizing, and didn't cook exactly how the recipe intended. Granted, I was low on ingredients and had to hunt for a recipe that had milk instead of half-and-half or heavy cream. However despite its looks, the caramel tasted amazing. This is definitely one of my new favorite recipes because it was super easy to make, and tasted incredible. The one critique I had for the apple pie bar recipe was that it required lots of cooling time, so I couldn't bake the dessert, and top it with the caramel sauce in one sitting. I also felt like this was a more fall-themed dessert, and would fit in perfectly at a Thanksgiving table. If you try to make this recipe, I do recommend slicing and peeling the apples before you actually need to use them because it will save you valuable time and energy. Overall, I'm giving this experience a solid 8/10 (points lost for troubles with caramel sauce, but altogether it was a great dessert)!

Here is the recipe for the apple pie bars: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/salted-caramel-apple-pie-bars/

Ingredients:

(for crust)

- 1/2 cup of melted butter

-1/4 cup of granulated sugar

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt 

- 1 cup of flour  

(for apple filling)

- 2 thinly sliced and peeled apples

- 2 tablespoons of flour

- 2 tablespoons of sugar

- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

- 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

(for crumble on top)

-1/2 cup of old fashioned oats

- 1/3 cup of brown sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

-1/4 cup of flour

-1/4 cup of cold, cubed butter

Here is the recipe for the caramel sauce: https://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-caramel-sauce-recipe-1945750

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup of granulated sugar

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1/2 cup of warmed milk

- 1 pinch of salt

- 1 tablespoon of butter