Spiced Apple and Cranberry Bars
A spiced apple and cranberry fruit filling, sandwiched together with a rich, buttery, vanilla pastry.
Ingredients
- 8 oz or 225g butter
- 2 oz or 55g sugar
- 1 egg
- 12 oz or 340g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit Filling
- 1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
- 1 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice) or use cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 fl oz or 120ml water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz or 110g cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 12 oz or 340g apples after they have been peeled and cored
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C and line an 8"/20cm square tin with baking parchment.
- First make the fruit filling. Mix the cornflour/corn starch, sugar and spice in a saucepan and gradually blend in the water. Add the cranberries, apple and lemon juice.
- Bring this mixture to a boil and then simmer for 3 minutes. Leave to cool while you prepare the pastry.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and gradually work in the flour.
- Place half of this mix in the tin and press it over the base. If you want to get fancy with the top half of the pastry, place it in the fridge.
- Spread the apple mixture over the base.
- Take the remaining pastry and crumble/place small pieces over the fruit. Just keep the pieces a similar thickness. Try to leave a few gaps to let the color of the fruit filling peek through.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sugar while still warm. Leave in the tin to cool, then cut into squares and enjoy!