Apple Chipotle Bars| chaserivers

Apple Chipotle Bars

Honeycrisp apples, brown sugar, cinnamon & clove, with a shortbread pastry crust, topped with pecans & smoky chipotle.

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

9x9 baking dish (I used glass)

Parchment paper

Apple Filling

3 cups cubed, Honeycrisp apples

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of ground clove

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pecan Chipotle Topping

1 cup whole pecans

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Chipotles in Adobo sauce, small can

1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

Note: Chipotle can be omitted for timid tastebuds.

Add the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla to a medium sized mixing bowl and mix for 1 minute on medium-high speed. Add 1/2 half of the flour and mix in on low speed. Add the second 1/2 of flour and mix well until crumbs form.

Lightly butter the baking dish and line with parchment paper. Trim parchment paper so that it's hanging over the sides and can be lifted out after baking. Add the shortbread crumbs to the center of baking dish and spread out evenly. Using your fingers, press and compact to form the crust. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the apple filling.

Apple Filling

Add the cubed apples to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but don't puree, about 5 quick pulses. Add the chopped apples to a sauce pan along with the remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle boil. Whisk continuously and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

After the shortbread has rested in the refrigerator 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375F and place in the lower-center position in oven and bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let come to room temperature.

Pecan Chipotle Topping

Break the pecans into small pieces using your hands/fingers. Don't pound or pecans will be powdery in texture.

Add the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt to a small mixing bowl and mix well. Add the butter and mix well. Remove a few chipotle peppers from the can and using paper towels, firmly pat dry to remove moisture/Adobo sauce. Finely chop the chipotles, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons to the pecan mixture and mix well.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350F.

Add the apple filling to the center of the shortbread crust and spread out evenly using a spoon. Sprinkle desired amount of the pecan/chipotle topping over the top and gently press about halfway into the filling. Place in the oven (lower-center position) and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Place in the refrigerator to be sure filling is firm before slicing. Cut into desired portion sizes and serve with hot coffee, black tea. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.