Oatmeal CookieBlog: Caramel Apple Bars

This one's for Sharon, a real-life cookie taster who put in a special request for a mom-friendly bar recipe.

I was really happy how these came out, though I do think I could have left them in the oven for a couple more minutes. It's really easy to tell when drop cookies are done. You just look at them. But bar cookies are a little different because they're bigger and thicker and are almost like baking a cake. For that reason, you should use the toothpick test to determine doneness.

The cookie base is soft, moist, and chewy. It's also really apple-y, with both apple sauce and diced fresh apples--and a healthy dose of cinnamon, which really highlights the apple flavor. The caramel topping is sticky and just a little bit crunchy. There's also a hint of apple flavor there from just a touch of apple juice. These are awesome on their own, but try popping one in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and topping it with vanilla ice cream. OMG!

Make sure you let the baking pan cool completely before you carve out the individual bars. If you don't, you'll end up with mangled, ragged, not-so-pretty pieces of cookie.

Makes 1 dozen bars. For 2 dozen thin bars, split the dough and topping in half and bake in two pans. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Caramel Apple Bars.)

Creamables	1 stick butter 1 cup dark brown sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 egg yolk 1/2 cup applesauce 1 tablespoon milk 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Dry Ingredients	3 cups oatmeal 2 cups diced apples 1 1/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping	1 3/4 cups caramel pieces 1/3 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 350º.
In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
Add the combined wet ingredients to the creamables. Mix together until well incorporated.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with butter.
Scoop the cookie dough into the pan and spread out in an even layer.
Place the caramel pieces and apple juice in a bowl and microwave until melted--about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir well with a spoon to make the mixture smooth.
Pour the melted caramel on top of the cookie base and spread out in an even layer.
Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until the bars pass the toothpick test.
Remove the baking pan from the oven and let cool completely.
Using a sharp knife, slice the pan-sized cookie into individual bars.