Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Special equipment: saucepan, food processor, 9- by 13- inch baking sheet, foil,

Ingredients

serves makes 12 large or 24 small bars, active time 1 hour, total time 1 hour 45 minutes, plus 30 minutes cooling

• For Caramel
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•  
• For Apple Layer
• 5 cups apple slices (see note) from about 4 large Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
•  
• For Crust and Crumble
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Procedures

1. Make the caramel: Assemble all the ingredients you will need for the caramel and place close to the saucepan you will be using. Place sugar in a large heavy sauce pan over medium high heat. Let the sugar begin to melt, then start to mix with a spoon. Mix occasionally until sugar has completely melted into a lightly golden color. Slowly and carefully pour in heavy cream—the sugar is going to immediately steam and harden into a lump. Turn the heat down to medium and continuously stir caramel until it is completely melted again and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt, and mix until butter has melted completely. Take caramel off the heat and let come to almost room temperature.
   
2. While caramel is cooling, make apple layer: In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stir to make sure it is well mixed. Let stand for 10 minutes.
   
3. Make crust and crumble: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line the baking dish with foil, then grease foil with butter.
   
4. Put flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until it is cut to the size of peas. Add egg and heavy cream and pulse until mixture has the texture of wet sand and, when pressed between your fingers, holds its shape.
   
5. Take 3/4 of the shortbread dough and press it into the prepared baking sheet. The bottom crust should be about 1/2-inch thick. Use a slotted spoon to remove apples from the bowl and spread evenly over top of shortbread. Cover the apples with the caramel sauce, gently reheating it over low heat if it's become too thick to spread. Use your fingers to form the remaining shortbread into crumbs and sprinkle the top with crumbs.
   
6. Bake bars until top is golden and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

Banana Crumb Cake

Special equipment

electric stand mixer or hand mixer, 8 x 8 cake pan, pastry bag, small round tip

Ingredients

serves Serves 12, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 hour and 30 minutes

• For the Crumb Topping
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
•  
• For the Cake
• 2 cups (9 ounces) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, soften to room temperature
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large bananas or 3 medium bananas)
•  
• For the Chocolate topping
• 2 ounces 72% cacao chocolate, melted in the microwave or double boiler
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Procedures

1. For the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugars and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Drizzle melted butter over the flour mixture use a fork to incorporate and form a fine, sandy crumb (if you prefer a more compact crumb, please see instructions above). Set aside.
   
2. Move oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour cake pan.
   
3. For the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Whisk together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.
   
4. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides to fully incorporate each addition. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, mix on medium to just incorporate, repeat the process adding the buttermilk mixture and the remaining flour. Stir in the mashed bananas until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and top with crumbs. Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.
   
5. While cake is cooling, quickly whisk together chocolate and cream in a small bowl, then transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Once cake has cooled for about 20 minutes, pipe chocolate in wavy diagonal lines across the surface of the cake—it will take several hours for the chocolate to firm up. Cover and store leftovers up to three days.