This homey recipe is about family, comfort and simplicity. My mom made these bars, and now I bake them in my own kitchen. I always make double batches to pass along the love!
—Elizabeth Monfort, Celina, OH
Prep: 35 min. Bake: 1 hour + cooling Makes: 2 dozen
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
11/2 cups cold butter, divided
4 to 5 Tbsp. ice water
8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (about 8 medium)
2 cups sugar, divided
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13x9-in. baking pan; set aside. Place 2 cups of flour and the salt in a food processor; pulse until blended. Add 1 cup butter; pulse until the butter is the size of peas. While pulsing, add just enough ice water to form moist crumbs. Press the dough mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust edges are lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
2. In a large bowl, combine apples, 1 cup sugar and the cinnamon; toss to coat. Spoon over crust. Place the remaining flour, butter and sugar in food processor; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle over apples. Bake until golden brown and the apples are tender, for 60-70 minutes. Cool kuchen completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
1 bar: 240 cal., 12g fat (7g sat. fat), 30mg chol., 106mg sod., 33g carb. (21g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g pro.