Crumb Topped Apple Bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 stick Salted butter (if don't have on hand, just buy butter and add 1t salt)
• 4  tablespoons cold water  (only add one tablespoon at a time: may need more or less than suggested!)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 12  tart cooking apples (such as Rome Beauty or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (5 cups)
• 1/2c fresh pineapple (can used canned pineapple tidbits or crushed, but drain juice)

Directions

1. For dough: In a large bowl, Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening into 1 1/4c flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Using your fingers, gently knead the dough just until a ball forms.

2. Preheat oven to 375F.

3. Press dough into a greased 11x7" pan (this is all I had on hand! If you have a 9x13 pan use that but may need to increase dough recipe!)

In an extra-large bowl, combine sugar, the 1/3 cup flour, the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; add apples and pineapple. Toss lightly until apples are coated. Spoon apple mixture into dough-lined pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle with Crumb Topping (pan will be full).

4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until apples are tender. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover top with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.

5. Serve warm or cool completely. Cut into rectangles.

Crumb Topping

Start to Finish: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3T softened butter

Directions

I had some leftover juice (probably 1/3c)  from the apples (I didn't drain the water good enough!) so I used up the leftover juice in the crumb topping!

Mix all ingredients together, crumble on top of apple mix.

Had a few mix ups in this one just because I didn't want to fart around with "old" recipe, so I changed/altered it. I also didn't really measure anything , just eyeballed it. So, if it doesn't turn out, that's ok, I imagine it will still taste good!  While I was peeling all the apples I put them in a bowl of water with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning. Well, I didn't get quite all the water drained so the bars came out a tiny bit soggy but still delicious! Oh, btw I just got a huge bag of granny smith apples at the store, used 12 and had 6 leftover so I peeled and sliced those too, put them in a Ziploc baggy, labeled contents and amount and dated it and put in freezer for some other time!

GOOD LUCK! HAHA!