Gluten Free Apple Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
• 13 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups Carla's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Apple Filling:
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (or cold palm oil (see above link)
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 lbs. (about 6) Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced to 1/8-inch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup water, as needed
For the Custard Filling:
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup gluten free plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 Tablespoons white rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
For the Topping:
• 1-1/2 cups gluten free oats
• 1 cup Carla's Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) + 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions:

To Make the Crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and sugar and beat until creamy and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix on medium speed until a dough forms. (It will be soft.)
4. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish and distribute the dough in the bottom of the dish and about halfway up the sides.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To Make the Apple Filling:
6. In a large pot or deep saute pan, add 3 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar and cook on medium heat until melted, stirring constantly.
7. Add apples and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.
8. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and cook over medium heat until apples caramelized and are very tender and all liquid has evaporated. This should take about 12 minutes.
9. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir, deglazing the pan of stuck on remnants. Add additional water as need. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.
To Make the Custard Filling:
10. Whisk egg yolks, yogurt, and agave together and set aside.
11. In a separate bowl, whisk together rice flour, starch and xanthan gum. add to yogurt mixture, and whisk until smooth. Pour the custard over the apple filling.
To Make the Topping:
12. In a large bowl, combine oats, 1 cup flour, 3/4 cups brown sugar, 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt salt. Using a pastry cutter or by hand, cut the butter into the mixture until a coarse meal forms. Gather the mixture to form a dough.
To Assemble the Bars:
13. Distribute the apple filling over the crust.
14. Sprinkle the topping over the filling and lightly press the topping into the filling.
15. Bake for about 55 minutes or until golden brown.
16. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool completely.
17. Once cool, slice into 3 x 3 1/4-inch squares.
18. You may store leftovers at room temperature, however, gluten free dough softens quickly. Freezing leftovers, sliced and wrapped in individual portions is the best option.

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