Apple Spice Cookie Bars

Oh, Katie. How I love you so.

I know you're probably all wondering whether I make anything other than recipes I find over on Good Things Catered. The answer is yes, just...

...not lately. :)

Last weekend, we had a bit of Indian summer, so it did not feel like fall. This weekend? Fall is back in full force, and it's actually quite refreshing. There are so many things about fall to enjoy, and baked goods is certainly one of them. Tonight, I was in the mood for something good, so after we made dinner, I threw together these apple spice cookie bars from Katie.

I curled up with a few glasses of wine, the Sex and the City movie on DVD, and waited for these babies to come out of the oven (I also enjoyed the baking apple smell!).

And I'm not even kidding when I say that these are the best things I have eaten in a long time. Flavorful, moist, chewy, delicious. BEST. APPLE. DESSERT. EVER.

So good. You must make these. You simply must.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars
(Source: Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. allspice
- small pinch ground cloves
- 1/2 cup (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced (about two cups)
- cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9x13 pan with foil and baking spray.

2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Whisk to combine well and set aside.

3. In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine.

5. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.

6. Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.

7. Fold in apples.

8. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon sugar.

9. Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. (Bars will be very soft.)