Apples! Apples! Apples! Take Back Our Lunch Apples with Opal Apple Bars!

Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Opal® apples 

but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Last month, I shared my love for Opal® Apples along with how great they are for lunches since they don't brown. For my picky kids, this is awesome! We've been munching along on Opal® apples in our house and they are hands down our favorite ones. This week while checking out some new recipes, I stumbled upon a few apple bar recipes which looked perfect for the lunchbox. After making a few tweaks, I came up with a delightfully healthy and yet so sinfully tasting apple bar. I must report that I may have had three of these the first day I made them. Maggie agreed with me and polished off five of them. I wasn't sure there would be any left for the other members of the family but we made them last for breakfast and as a lunchtime treat the next day. 

The beautiful appearance of the Opal® Apples which are Non-GMO Project verified along with the crunchy texture and sweet, tangy flavor really shines through in these apple bars. The fact that Opal® Apples are grown right here in Washington State exclusively by Broetje and Congdon Orchards delights me to no end.

These bars should keep for about 4-5 days and will be a wonderful treat in your kid's lunchbox. This is one part of lunch they will be sure to eat! 

I'm excited to announce that Opal® Apples is sponsoring a give-away of their Opal lodo’d bento lunch box and a sample box of Opals. Leave a comment below on how you like to incorporate apples into your child's (or even your own) lunch for a chance to win! Winners will be announced on Monday, March 20th. 

Opal Apple Bars

by Rebecca Mongrain



Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes



Ingredients (24 bars)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup vanilla sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
2 tsp almond extract
4 Opal Apples, peeled and sliced into thin slices




Instructions


Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray a a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Stir in oats and sugars. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter and eggs. Stir in the almond extract. Mix liquid into the flour mixture.
Press half the dough into the prepared 9x13 pan and set aside.
Using two 15-inch sheets of parchment paper (wax paper works fine too), place the remaining half of the dough between the two sheets. Roll out the dough into a 9x13 rectangle. Place on a cookie sheet indie the freezer for a few minutes.
Place the sliced apples onto the 9x13 pan and slightly overlap each slice until the pan is covered.
Remove the dough from the freezer and press on top of the apple slices. Press around the edges to seal the dough.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center comes out clean. Allow the bars to cool in the pan before lifting the parchment paper out. Cut into squares and enjoy in the lunchbox!






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Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Opal® apples 

but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.