I had plans to go apple picking last Saturday, but there were two teensy little problems with that:
1. there were no apples left on the trees (it
turns out apple picking season had ended two weeks earlier) and
2. it snowed! So I was left with apples on the brain (it's a rare condition, but totally treatable with either pie, turnovers, sauce or bars). I opted for bars, but decided to pimp mine out a little by adding candied bacon bits and bourbon (what?, it's not like I know how to do it to my Honda).
APPLE-BACON BARS WITH BOURBON-ALMOND GLAZE
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen
Candied Bacon:
6 strips bacon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Crust:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
Filling:
1 1/4 cups cornflakes
10 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Bourbon-Almond Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon bourbon (can substitute milk)
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Candied Bacon:
1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Lay strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a foil (shiny side down).
3. Sprinkle 1 ½-2 teaspoons sugar evenly over each strip of bacon, depending on length.
4. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that's collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until as dark as mahogany. Remove from oven and cool the strips on a wire rack.
5. Once crisp and cool, chop roughly into bits. Can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 day, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Crust:
6. Preheat oven to 375º F.
7. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse on & off until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg yolks and milk together. Gradually add the milk mixture to the processor (pulsing a few times after each addition) until the dough can be formed into a ball (add more milk if needed). Shape dough into 2 disks (one just slightly larger than the other), wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger dough disk into a rectangle (large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9- x 13-inch pan). Lay the dough in the pan (trim any overhang, but leave enough on top to pinch together with the other dough later).
Filling:
9. Scatter the cornflakes over the dough. Arrange apple slices over the top of the cornflakes. Sprinkle the sugar, cinnamon and bacon over the apples.
10. Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle (large enough to cover the top of the pan). Lay the dough over the filling; trim and pinch the edges of the two crusts together (using either your fingers or a fork). Beat the reserved egg whites until foamy, and brush onto the top crust. Poke a few holes in the top with a fork (to allow steam to escape).
11. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Drizzle with glaze while still warm. Let cool before cutting into bars.
Glaze:
12. In a small bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, bourbon, and almond extract until smooth (add a few drops of milk or water if needed to thin).
