Caramel Apple Bars

If you know me at all you know that I love fall. I get a little too excited about going to the pumpkin patch, eating everything pumpkin I can find (has anyone tried Trader Joe's pumpkin cream cheese?!), stepping in as many leaf piles as I can, and coming up with new ways to use the delicious apples that grow so well in Oregon.

This fall I was the lucky recipient of a Groupon for 10 lbs of apples from a local farm from my dad. I have used the apples to make dehydrated apple rings, applesauce, apple fruit rolls, and pumpkin apple crumb bread. Its been a few weeks and I still had a few of the beautiful granny smith apples left so I decided to try a new recipe.

I absolutely adore apple crisp but I wanted to make something that I could share with friends and family and that didn't need to be eaten right our of the oven. In my search for recipes I came across this recipe for caramel apple bars. It is like a apple crisp, but in bar form. With caramel! GENIUS!

Lavender Lemon Bars

As you may already know from my previous Lavender Festival post, I am enamored with culinary lavender. This fixation started a few months back and has been since consuming my thoughts and my cooking.

I  even convinced the owner of the cupcake bakery where I work to put a lavender cupcake on the menu this month. It is called purple passion (which is a good title my lavender obsession) and is VERY lavender-y. Yum!

After falling in love with lavender lemonade I decided to experiment with what I thought would be the perfect cookie bar: a lavender lemon bar.

The lemon bar recipe I used is one of my all-time favorite recipes so I knew it would be a delicious cookie to add lavender to. I refused to use the ever-helpful tool that is google to see if there is a recipe for these bars and instead did it the old fashioned way: trail and error.

And, let me tell you, at first, there was error. But in the end I think I created a heavenly lemon bar with a hint of fragrant, floral, and absolutely wonderful lavender.

I hope you enjoy this simple and delicious recipe!

Lavender Lemon Bars

Adapted from Good Housekeeping Baking

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cold butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into small pieces
2 large lemons
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp dried lavender flowers plus more for garnish 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Make lavender sugar: Combine sugar and 2 tbsp dried lavender in an airtight container and let sit for at least two days, preferably more.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13" by 9" metal or glass baking pan wit foil, extending it over the short ends. Lightly grease foil.

In medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle dough evenly into prepared pan. With floured hand, pat dough firmly into bottom. Bake 15 to 17 minutes, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, from lemons, grate 1 teaspoon and squeeze 1/3 cup juice. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored,  about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add lemon peel and juice, lavender sugar, baking powder, salt, and remaining 3 tablespoons flour, and beat until blended, scraping bowl occasionally.

Pour lemon filling over warm crust. Bake 15 minutes, or until filing is just set and golden around edges. Transfer pan to wire rack. Sift remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar over warm filling. Take a small handful of dried lavender flowers and rub them lightly in your hands to release their fragrant oils; sprinkle evenly over bars. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

When cool transfer foil to cutting board. Cut lengthwise into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 12 pieces. Makes 36 bars.