Apples (cont.)

The bar has become my fallback dessert. It feels a little more gourmet than a cookie but only takes a tiny bit more effort. I used a recipe from allrecipes.com that was originally for a blueberry bar. The ingredient list is short and sweet:

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2 large apples thinly sliced
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Next time I'll add more apple, I would have liked to have a thicker layer. This makes a BIG batch, not to worry, they freeze well!
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if desired. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the apples. Sprinkle the apple mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the apple layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.