Apple Streusel Bars

            Apple Streusel Bars

Sweet Pastry

2 cups flour

½ cup sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 cup butter, softened, no

    Substitutions

1 egg, beaten

Apple Filling

¼ cup flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp almond extract

About 3 T milk or cream

To prepare the crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until pea-sized crumbles.  Gently mix in beaten egg.

Grease 9x13 inch baking dish.  Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Toss with apples and spread apples out on prepared crust.  Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.  When finished, allow to cool completely.

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.  Transfer glaze to a zip-top bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners.  Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along).  Cut into bars and serve.  Make 20-24 bars.