Best Baked Shortbread Apple Dessert Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE PIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.
• Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. (As the crust bakes, you can prepare the filling and streusel.)
• Combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
• Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
• Turn the oven up to 350°F (177°C). Evenly layer the apples on top of the warm crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. I usually cut them into 16 smaller bars, but you can cut them into 12 larger bars. Once cut, drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of each. These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or even cold.

APPLE CRISP SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure to bring the parchment up the sides as it makes it easier to lift out later.
• Shortbread Base:
• Place butter into your mixer and turn on high for 5 minutes or until the butter turns white rather than yellow, that's how you'll know it's creamed. Next mix in the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Once combined, add in the flour and stir well. Press the mixture into the parchment lined pan and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
• Apple Filling:
• In a bowl, combine the apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until the apples are well coated.
• Topping:
• Mix flour, ¾ up brown sugar. Cut in the butter and knead together.
• Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle one half of the Topping over the short bread, then layer the apples on top. You will have multiple layers so try to keep it level. Once this is finished, sprinkle the remainder of the Topping evenly on top and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully before placing in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours. Once it's set, remove from the baking dish by lifting out the parchment paper and cut into 16 squares.

APPLE CRISP CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 4 12-cup mini-muffin tins.
• Mix apples, water, white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon together in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until apples are partially cooked, about 5 minutes; remove from heat.
• Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl; cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Place a heaping tablespoon of the crust mixture into a mini muffin cup, and press it into the cup so that it covers the bottom and pushes up the sides of the cup. Make the crust go all the way to the top of the little muffin cup, and patch any holes with more crust mixture. There will be crust mixture left over. Place about 2 teaspoons of apple filling in the crust. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the remaining crust mixture on the filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

BAKED SHORTBREAD APPLE DESSERT

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablesppons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add cookie crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.
• Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Transfer crumbs to a bowl and set aside.
• Add remaining 2 tbls. butter, the sliced apples, 1 tbls. sugar and lemon juice to skillet.
• Cover and cook over medium heat until apples are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a 2 quart casserole dish, layer half of the apples and half of the crumbs.
• Top with remaining apples, crumbs and then the almonds.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown.
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

APPLE SHORTBREAD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.
• In a food processor blend flour, sugar and salt. Add butter through food tube using on/off turns until coarse meal forms. Drizzle egg yolks over dough and mix until dough forms using on/off turns. DO NOT FORM INTO A BALL.
• Pat 3/4 of the dough into a 8-inch round tart pan (with removable bottom) or an 8-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix apple slices with sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Turn apple mixture into crust.
• Crumble remaining crust mixture over apples.
• Place pie on baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 350-degrees F and bake another 20 minutes or until top is light brown and filling is bubbly.
• Cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

APPLE SHORTBREAD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)
• Sift four, 1/2 cup sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fold in egg yolks (mixture will be crumbly). Remove 1/4 of mixture, and set aside. Press remainder onto bottom and sides an 8 inch tart shell or pie pan.
• In a large bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place apples into crust, and sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over top.
• Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD 101

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.
• Butter a 10-inch round springform or cake pan. Using plastic wrap, press dough evenly into pan. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Cut dough into 8 wedges with a paring knife. Using a wooden skewer, prick all over at 1/4-inch intervals.
• Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. Can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.