Apple Bars

My first born believed “candy corn” was a toy until at least her fourth birthday. I’ve eased up a bit since those “no sugar” days when my banana breads were stevia sweetened, and I made cookies with raisin purée, but sugar is an ingredient I handle with care. Being a baker, taste and performance are important to me, and there are times when only sugar is going to get the job done, like for these apple bars from my friend, Elizabeth. The apples and cinnamon and cakey-ness were delicious, but the crispy, crackly top crust and edge stole the show. She shared the recipe.

Back in my kitchen, I baked several different batches, one with half sugar/half honey, one with regular C&H cane sugar, one with an organic brown sugar, and one with a light muscovado. The half-honey bars turned out very ordinary; they were cakey and had a nice flavor, but no tantalizing texture. All of the sugars produced the crust effect, but I preferred the more caramelized flavor of the brown sugars, especially the muscovado from India Tree. Will regular C&H do? Absolutely. But the next time you’re baking, taste the difference between organic vs. not, brown vs. white, even really brown, like sucanat. When baking, keep in mind that most brown sugars have a higher moisture content than white sugar; I usually use slightly less brown sugar and/or bring down any added liquid. Big-crystal sugar, like turbindado and Demerara, sometimes called “raw sugar,” will affect baking outcomes. I usually save the big crystals  for when I want to enjoy the crunch and sparkle like sprinkling atop scones, shortbread, (or oatmeal!) and rolling logs of sablés or gingersnaps.

Hope you enjoy these. they keep for several days. I keep them very loosely covered so as not to sog the crust (the best part!)