Apple Pie Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp salted butter, cold and diced into cubes
• 1/4 cup +2 Tbsp buttermilk, chilled
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 1/4 lbs granny smith apples
• 2 1/2 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Raw Turbinado sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp half and half
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Set your oven to 350 degrees. For the pastry, put 2 cups flour in a large mixing bowl with the salt and give it a good whisk. Work the cold butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or a fork until you have rough, crumbly bits. Stir in the buttermilk and egg yolk, mixing just until the dough gathers together and can be shaped into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then chill the dough while you make the apples.
2. Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into small, thin pieces. Transfer the apples to a large mixing bowl, add the orange juice and 1 tsp vanilla, and toss so the fruit is coated. In another bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour with the granulated sugar, light-brown sugar, 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg. Tip that dry mixture over the apples, toss until everything is coated, and set it aside.
3. Cut the pie dough into 2 equal portions. On a lightly floured counter, roll one piece into a 13x9 inch rectangle. Move it into an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish; the neat little trick is to fold the dough in half, fold it in half once more, set it into a corner of the dish, and open it back out so it covers the pan.
4. Give the apple mixture another toss, then spread it over the bottom pastry. Roll the remaining dough into a 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch rectangle and lay it over the apples, using the same folding-and-unfolding move if you like. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until it turns foamy, then brush it over the top pastry; you will only use about half of it.
5. In a separate small mixing bowl, stir together 1 1/2 tbsp Raw Turbinado sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Scatter that cinnamon sugar evenly over the top pastry. Bake in the 350 degrees oven for 50 – 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick slides into the apples tenderly.
6. Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before you cut the bars into squares. Finish with optional glaze, or serve with vanilla ice cream. Keep the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and warm them in the microwave if you want.