Despite fall being long since over (it’s snowing a storm out there), there are some seasonal flavours that never pass, like tangy green apples spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s one (of the many) combinations our household has no resistance for. Combined with salted caramel and toasted walnuts, these are some killer crumble bars suitable for any season.

Oh, and happy christmas! Our second Christmas outside of NZ and our first white one. Although we don’t have much in the way of family or tradition here in Canada, we more than make up for that with friends. Jesse and I enjoyed a relaxed day of endless cups of tea and quality time, a long leisurely walk, and a superb evening of perfectly cooked turkey (and in true Canadian spirit, sweet potato marshmellow casserole!) with some new friends. As per tradition (oh, turns out we did bring one with us), our festive meal was made complete with Jamie Oliver’s Chocolate Tart – this time served with a berry compote rather than the fresh berry, melon salad typical of the NZ summer Christmas.

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
Recipe from Annies-Eats
Makes about 16 bars

These are straight from Annies-Eats, bar one or two minor tweaks. I used mostly wholewheat flour and only one type of sugar (raw cane). I also had a can of dulce de leche remaining from making the chocolate turtles which, when mixed with a dash of sea salt and heated until smooth enough to pour, worked great in place of melted caramels.

For the filling:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 apples, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of grated nutmeg

For the caramel:
9 oz. caramel candies, unwrapped
2 tbsp. heavy cream
OR
270g salted dulce de leche, warmed until pourable

For the dough:
1 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup raw sugar
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
170g cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup toasted walnuts

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. To make the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the apple slices, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add in the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and pulse a few times just until a crumbly dough comes together. Transfer about two thirds of the dough mixture to the prepared baking pan and press down into an even layer. Bake until light golden, about 12-14 minutes. Add the walnuts to remaining dough in processor and pulse a few more times to incorporate and roughly chop the nuts.

If making caramel from candies and cream (rather than dulce de leche), combine the caramels and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Melt the caramels, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is totally smooth. Remove from the heat. Once the base layer is baked, pour the caramel over the top. Layer with the cooked apple slices and crumble the remaining dough over the top.

Bake about 22-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.