Apple Pie Bars

1:30 bike 

Still on the trainer.  Bock, Bock!
Pedaling and not going anywhere is hard on the brain.  
All hamsters must be insane.  

 I know these are insane!  Insanely good.
This is one of my go to recipes when I need to feed a crowd.  I love that it's a bit different from the typical cookie, or brownie type bars that you would normally make to feed a big hungry bunch.
They slice beautifully, travel really well and taste just like apple pie.

Pack these on a few plates, deliver them to your neighbors and you'll be friends for life.
Guaranteed!
They do take a bit longer to make but the recipe isn't hard and I find the dough really easy to work with.  You roll it out between to pieces of wax paper so it isn't that messy.

Ok, for a normal person it wouldn't be that messy.  
I got the nick name messy Missy back in my restaurant days for a reason.
I move fast and fast is messy.  
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
The oranges where for a sauce I was making too in case you are wondering why there are no oranges in the recipe.  
I hope you love these as much as my family, friends and neighbors have.
Apple Pie Bars
from Taste of Home

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup shortening
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 to 10 tablespoons cold water
FILLING:
• 7 cups finely chopped peeled apples (I use Granny Smith)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Dash ground nutmeg
GLAZE:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon 2% milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice and water; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide in half. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll out one portion of dough between two large sheets of waxed paper into a 17-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Press pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of pan; trim pastry even with top edge.
• In a large bowl, toss the apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; spread over crust. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pan; place over filling. Trim edges; brush edges between pastry with water or milk; pinch to seal. Cut slits in top.
• Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Combine glaze ingredients until smooth; drizzle over bars before cutting. 
• Yield: about 2 dozen.

Missy's Notes:

• If I don't have lemon juice I use a Tablespoon of vinegar in the crust instead and just omit it in the glaze.
• Sometimes I add a bit of vanilla or vanilla bean paste to the glaze just cause I love vanilla.