Apple Brownies

I got this recipe out of the most recent Martha Stewart Living magazine. I'm a sucker for baked goods especially if they have apples. These were tasty though why they are called brownies I am not so sure. They are very much like many apple cake recipes out there.

 

You would think that with a recipe called Apple Brownies you would start by preparing the apples...wrong. Instead melt one stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Set aside to cool.

Now it's time to prepare the apples: peel, core and cut into 1/2" cubes.

Next up chop the walnuts. I didn't have walnuts so used pecans. Turned out to be a great substitute!

Take the now cool butter and beat with sugar and egg. See how yellow this is, it's too yellow. Keep mixing!

Now it is ready! Pale yellow, fluffy and creamy.

Mix in the chopped nuts and apples.

Sift the dry ingredients right on top of the apple mixture. (Or you can use two bowls like the recipe. I don't like to have to do more dishes than necessary)

Stir until well combined.

   
Spread apple mixture into a well buttered dish. I used a 9"x13" and it worked great.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.

They were sweet but not overly so. The edges were chewy like brownies. I will be making these again. Nate loved them too!

Apple Brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick salted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for dish
1 c. flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
2 large firm-sweet apples (about 1 pound total), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 3/4 cups)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in center position. Generously butter an 8-by-11-inch baking dish.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and egg with a mixer until pale, about 2 minutes. Add walnuts and apples, and stir by hand until combined. Add flour mixture, and stir until combined, about 30 seconds more.

Spread batter in pan, and bake until golden brown and slightly firm, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes, then cut into 12 bars. Bars can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days. (Though the moisture from the apples will make the bars lose they're chewiness)