for a brief time…i was a youth sponsor for our high school youth group at our IL church.
i remember just a few things from that experience.
playing poor man’s lacrosse….
wearing my maternity overalls to youth group…
*why do i remember that? & why did i have so many pairs of maternity overalls?
crying during the lessons….
*i have ALWAYS been a cry-er.
cried through my entire wedding…cry at commercials…movies…EVERYTHING..i cry a little probably every day…but i am not sad…i am tenderhearted? gushy? over-emotional? hormonal?!!
AND JP’s mom’s apple bars.
i remember the night he brought them and i fell in love with them…my life changed forever.
i ate waaaaaay too many.
now i want to share this yumminess with YOU.
Relax…it has apples….so it’s healthy!
first you combine 4 C. flour, 1/2 t. salt and 2 C. sugar
second, cut in 3 sticks of butter.
butter = that’s dairy = healthy!
when it’s crumbly you are finished. (i use my hands for this step, works better than anything i’ve tried)
take half of your crumbly mixture and press it into a jelly roll pan.
peel and slice 5 granny smith apples….cover the pressed down crumb mixture with these apples.
combine 1/3 C. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon, sprinkle it over the apples.
crumble the remaining flour/sugar/butter mixture on top of the apples.
bake it at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes…until it is crispy on the bottom.
after i put mine in the oven i looked out my kitchen window and saw the girls.
i love that view.
cooking or cleaning in my kitchen and watching the kids play at the same time…..{{{HAPPY SIGH}}}.
(this weekend was VERY cold suddenly…soccer/football games were torture.)
after it bakes, let it cool.
make a glaze with 1 C. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla, 1 T. water.
drizzle it over entire pan of bars.
cut into squares and ENJOY.
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last night someone said “it’s like eating an apple pie with your hand.”
i agree.
you will love it.
and you won’t be able to stop nibbling at it all day.
i know this because i have been doing just that since breakfast.
and thank you hanna for sending these with JP to youth group 9 years ago.
Gemma - Hi Meg!
Just wanted you to know how much we love this recipe here! They are in the oven at the moment and they smell amazing.
I read your blog daily but always come back to this post EVERY Autumn just to find this recipe. It’s my own little tradition : )
Thank you so much.
Gemma xXx
upvc windows - Glazed apples contain a sweet syrup-like liquid that gives the fruit a dessert appeal. Cooking the apples on the stove top softens them. Soft-glazed apples are best when served warm because they taste similar to apple pie without the crust. Serve the homemade glazed apples as a side to a main dish such as pork chops, or top them with whipped cream to enjoy the apples for dessert.
Julie in GA - I’m making these right now…just sounds so yummy! Of course, keeping my apple-loving girl away from the Granny Smiths has been hard the last 2 days. She got one of them already, so I’m down to only 4, but I figure I can stretch them! Love your blog, Meg! Can’t wait to hear about your trip when you come back — a life changing experience for certain!
Colie - I made these apple bars at a friends house last night. They just had a baby so my mission was to hold the baby (and give her free hands) and then make the dessert. I scored on both, and these bars are omg sooo yummy. Thank you for sharing the recipe! I love your blog- it’s colorful and inspirational. thank you also for sharing your life with us. 🙂
angela - It’s Halloween morning. I am about to make these apple bars. Seriously, I had to come back here to check and see if it REALLY had THREE sticks of butter. Oh. My. Can’t wait to try them!
Katie - Those bars were the most delicious thing I have EVER tasted (& I have tasted quite a few delicious things). I will be coming back to this recipe again and again. Thanks for sharing. Your blog continues to be a great read. Thanks for sharing your life with us 🙂
christi - i’m going to make these right now!!
jaslyn - Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made this for my brother’s birthday and it was gone in less than 10 minutes!!!!!!! I used honeycrisp apples instead of granny smith and they were amazing!
Lacy Brauner - I love this recipe! I totally had a dislexic moment and read it wrong and used too much butter..so I improvised and used more cinamon! we love cinimon!!I love your blog and look at it everyday! it is so inspiring to me!2 i love everything you post! It is still hot here in Houston, so I made those bars with chicken pot pie hoping it would influence some cold weather to stick around a while! I love everything you post and embed on your blog! If I ever got an email or anything I would feel like I was talking to a clelbrity, i just love it! my fave! Me and my bffs do a cookie baking party every year, but I love your craft nite at christmas! You have inspired me to be more creative and imaginative! Thank you and keep it up meg!!
Micah - “you will love it.
and you won’t be able to stop nibbling at it all day.”
That sounds like a very good reason for me to NEVER MAKE THESE!!! LOL! j/k of course, I don’t have that much restraint ;). Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it!!
Alisa - after reading this I went to the store to go buy some more butter and some apples. I made them for our dinner at church last night and got rave reviews and people wanted to know why I hadn’t posted the recipe so I made a post today linking to this heavenly little treat. Thanks so much for the great recipe. I will definitely be making it again very soon. I can see why you remember them so well.
DreamGirlLisa - Sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing. Love your new banner too 🙂
Amy - I just pulled mine out of the oven. They smell divine! Can’t wait till they cool enough to try some with some vanilla ice cream (can you say sugar high??).
Jennifer - I made these yesterday, like I ran, literally ran out to get GS apples, came home and made these awesome things! FABULOUS! I can’t get over how good they are! I shared some with my neighbors and they agree! Thanks Meg! I’ve tried nearly every recipe you’ve posted and everything is great! Please share more recipes! Please please! 🙂
Cate O'Malley - Had company for dinner tonight, and with half a bag of apples still left on the counter from recent apple picking, I knew these would be perfect for dessert, and they were. Alone. Or with vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with caramel syrup. Definitely going into rotation.
Miranda - Soon as I seen your recipe, I scrounged around and had everything and made these VERY YUMMY bars. Delicious!! Thanks for sharing! They were a big hit with the man too 🙂
michelle - uh… you’re KILLING me! i think i may need to send you a copy of my newest little painting 🙂
out of duty, i will be trying this recipe.
Laura Phelps - well, there goes my 4th day of no sugar.
I made it
I ate it
I regret it…but regret never tasted so good.
and I linked you big time in a post tonight…I mean, if I am going to blow my diet, I want EVERYONE to blow their diet with me!
Hannah - That looks AMAZING!! I think I know what I will be baking tomorrow 🙂 All my friends still rave about the rainbow cake I stole from your blog 🙂
Karen - Mmm I’m putting apples on the grocery list. Your reasons why that recipe is healthy have conviced me. 😉
Also, I cry at commercials a lot too.
Jenn - Um, yes please! Want to pack some up and send them cross country? Just kidding, I may just have to try this recipe this weekend, YUM!
Rachel / cREaTe - YUM. i didn’t think i was going to like the “glazedness” … but it seems subtle. and as long as there’s a delicious salty sweet crumble, i’m GAME. there’s nothing like fall desserts! thanks for sharing!
i think i cry about once a day, too. TOTAL SAP. but tender-hearted is such a nice word for it. 🙂
patti - i just had to come back and post that i made these today…the power even went out half way through. i had to “rebake” them without knowing how long they’d been cooking prior to the power going out. but they turned out delicious!! thank you again for sharing the recipe.
Ruth H. - I’m sure it has been said before, but I’ll say it again: you have the prettiest blog! I’ve had so much fun lately imagining what my life would look like through the lens of your camera….the most mundane tasks become so delightful when I do that.
I think I’ll go sign up for a photography class.
Jaime - OH my…thanks so much for sharing this. I have been so craving an apple pie and this looks even better!
Julia - I love it when the kids are in the yard and I check on them through the window – great picture.
Cassie - perfect timing.
i have a big bowl of apples that we picked in wisconsin that i JUST said i needed to use up.
my glazed apple bars are baking in the oven right now!
also…you should add your little tip of using your hands to mix up the crumble part to your recipe on the sidebar. i was using that recipe and getting very frustrated that it wasn’t combining until i went back to the original post and saw your tip. ah yes…much better!
can’t wait to taste this!!
wishing you all lived closer so i could have you kansas girls over for coffee and glazed apple bars in the morning! (plus, i sure could use some help with this etsy shop!:))
Kristine Robb - those sound/look scrumdidlyumptious! i think i will try them this weekend!
i think we wore those maternity overalls so we could eat lots of apple bars! (whyyyyyyyyyyyy was it cool to wear overalls? so frumpy! i hate seeing those pics! ha ha!)
Stephanie Carroll - Healthy or not, I’m making them for Bible study next week!
susie whyte - meg–i had some questions for you about your typepad…i tried to email you, but my computer’s settings are set on “super safe”.
my best friend in germany is wanting to start a new blog for her bakery goodies and i was telling her about how the pictures look on here. could you email me a ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ on whether it’s cost worthy and such? or even just leave it on my comments on my blog. thanks so much!!
Staci - Mmmmmmm….I might just have to make this while we are on Fall Break 🙂 YUMMY!!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Keri ~ ForeverFoldingLaundry - Wouldn’t you know I just happen to have several Granny Smith apples in my fridge waiting to be used. Combine those with this rainy day we’re having and you have a perfect fall combo. Thanks, Meg! 🙂
Sharla B. - I should have worn maternity overalls for pics yesterday! 🙂 These apple bars look way too good.
Melanie - I cry too. I have been doing a lot of that lately. With this huge move that is coming up and knowing that I am GIVING my house away, there have been lots of tears.
I made your baked french toast the other day and it was wonderful.
I feel a lot of baking in my future. It is already cold where we are moving:(
Jenn Thomas - Thanks for putting this recipe on – I was going to call and ask for it – all our pieces you sent home with us are GONE!
Tracy - YUM! Thanks for the new recipe, Meg! These look DELICIOUS and look like great snacks for my kid’s school lunches! :o)
deb meyers - I cry, too. I think it is like sweating when you work out, some people sweat a lot, some barely glisten.
Thanks for the recipe! We’re invited to an apple pie social this weekend and these look perfect.
deb meyers
patti - this is just what i needed for a windy, blustery, rainy day here in sacramento, ca. we went from 80 degree fall days to a huge storm over night. i need some comfort food and yummy smells in the kitchen. i just went to apple hill and have tons of granny smiths – so excited!
thanks so much for sharing!!
Heather @ Cookie Mondays - these look better than the double d’s {heehee}
will try them tonight!!
Jami - You are my FAVORITE blog! I cry all the time too! I am a nanny and yesterday I cried because I have been with the family for 4.5 years now and I keep track of everything that I do in a day with the girls in a nanny log. Yesterday I went through ALL the logs (literaly hundreds of them) and was bawling at how much we have been through. (Even me having my own baby 6 months ago) :)I cried a second time cause my best friend is pregnant and I am so excited for her. I am going to make these today and when the girls come home from school they will have a nice treat waiting for them! Thank you.
Kelly - I thought I liked you. In fact your’s is one of my favorite blogs. And then you go & post something like this! Something that I will no doubt bake and love and eat most of it without any help from my kids or husband. Thanks a lot.
No really, thanks a lot! 🙂
Laura Phelps - I am on my 4th day of no sugar…this could possibly put an end to that!
thanks for sharing this…it is cool and rainy-like here today (meaning not raining, but looks like it might)and I only have one cake to do…hm…this might be a nice afternoon surprise for the kids!!!
have a great day!
Linda@ Restyled Home - I’ve said it before, will you be my mother?
If you want an excuse for a good, hard cry then check out the link I just posted on Facebook. I couldn’t catch my breath for crying, and not in a sad way!
Cheers,
Linda
Summer - I’m a cryer as well…I laugh too much and cry a little. Anyway, these look very yummy and I love the watercolor picture! As always, Thanks!
susie whyte - nothing says “good morning, sunshine!” like a little fruit with your sugar. lol.
H-Mama - my oldest dd is very tenderhearted…
that looks yummy. i think i just gained 5 lbs reading about it… or did i lose 5 lbs since it’s healthy? 😉 needless to say, that dessert would not be safe in our house. ha…
Tiffany - I am a daily crier too…I used to be embarrassed about it, now I embrace it because it’s who I am!! And, I am so making these today!!
Dina - ummm…could we be related in some way??? I too am a daily crier … yet not a sad person … anything with apples and THAT much butta’ can’t be anything but heaven … and … we have that EXACT playset (did you get your’s at Sam’s too:-)?)
Leigh - I went apple picking with my 14 year old son over the weekend in Ellijay, Georgia. Beautiful! I will make good use of this recipe. Thanks! You’re girls look so cute in their hats and scarfs.
sandy toe - I saw glazed apple bars in my google reader and had to come over…oh it feels like a day for this!
sandy toe
Sarah @ Clover Lane - I’ll try this soon….looks great. And I’m really impressed that your kids have mittens/hats/winter coats on as they play outside…I haven’t even brought those down from the attic yet, and my kids are freezing everyday!
Jen CD - I am going to try and make these in Colombia…thanks!
Nancy-The Goat and The Kid - Shut the door, I am making this today. It is our first rainy day in MONTHS!!! Looks delicious. Overalls… Here’s a little memory of mine about overalls….I packed non-maternity overalls to come home from the hospital after having my 9lb baby. They couldn’t even slide over my big bootie. I cried. My husband had to drive home for my maternity pants. What was I thinking??? 🙂
Mrs. - Brrr! I don’t like seeing your girls all bundled already! We are still waiting for our hard frost here in Cincinnati. I am still carefully tending geraniums I plan to save this winter. I think your moc apple pie looks like the perfect end to a chilly fall day.
Kathy - OMG that looks delish and I swear you said it was fat free right!! Loved when my teen was little watching her play outside. Now if I watch my teen she says WHAT!!
Lauren - Just an FYI – a mentally healthy person has 3-4 good hard cries per month! I’d say you’re right on track!
Lisa - GREAT POST… ARE YOU SURE WE’RE NOT FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS?
http://sophie4me.blogspot.com/
HUGS FROM MAINE
Wendy - Oh Wow, Meg!! These look amazing! Would I be a bad person if I served these with a little ice cream on top? 🙂 So much for the diet.
Ashlee Archibald - Look soo yummy!! 🙂 Thats a great view 🙂 I whole heartly agree 🙂
Emily@remodelingthislife - Looks delicious! I have been making apple crisp over the past couple of weeks and it disappears so fast. I think I’ll try this. I had to nod along about being able to cook and watch your kids play outside. That is the best part of my kitchen too. And I rolled my eyes when hubby wasted all my cupboard space by putting in windows. Like he always says, he knows best.
pve - just why do I not live right next door, I would smell all that goodness and just walk right over and demand a piece! Hand it over!!! there…did I make you cry??
Great photos even in not so great light. (c’mon!)
pve
Jerri - Oh yummy, can’t wait to try this recipe! We love the French Toast casserole that we got from here.
Deborah Clark - This looks so yummy, would love to make it for the kids (lol) can you give me the measurements for the butter in grams, we don’t have sticks downunder.
D. Clark – New Zealand
Pineapple Princess - Oh, ya! Now THAT looks good!
I love watching my kids play, too. Happy sigh.
Lisa - That is mean. I am a mumma trying to lose weight here. 🙂 Seriously that looks so yummy.
The hut outside your window looks fun too. I think I may have to get hubby to build one… or perhaps better still get a builder in.