Sundays for Women Who Hate Football: Apple Butterscotch Bars

Are You Ready For Some Football?

If you're like me, you're never ready for football. There's something unappealing about overpaid men acting like high-school students chasing each other around a field while wearing tight, shiny pants. Maybe it's the sanctioned violence that seems to pass for religion every Sunday, maybe it's the drunken fans screaming in the stadiums and waving their towels, or maybe it's the fact that the NFL profits off of turning people into wide-eyed consumer zombies.

I do enjoy the football season, if not for the sport. It means that autumn is around the corner, and my fiancé will be parked in front of the Almighty Aquos where, unbeknownst to him, he will be my "new fall recipe" guinea pig.

Football Sundays are the perfect day to spend some quality time with your kitchen, undisturbed. I don't mean hot wings, nachos and fried cheese, but hearty roasts, creamy casseroles, bubbling sauces, and fresh-baked goodies.

Apple Butterscotch Bars

This Sunday, I'm trying a new recipe. I'm not the best baker in the world, so I'm starting off this season with a simple recipe with few ingredients, but that will fill your home with a sweet, tantalizing aroma and will provide you with chewy, oozing apple butter and butterscotch goodness.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup (2 standard sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup apple butter
1 11-oz package butterscotch chips

Directions

1) Preheat your oven to 375 F. Grease a 9 x 9 square pan. I made mine in a round pan without consequence, which makes these more or less "slices" than "bars."
2) Mix your flour, oats and sugars in a large bowl, then cut the butter into the mixture until it's good and crumbly. Reserve about 3/4 of a cup of this mixture, then press the remaining into the pan.
3) Spread the mixture with your apple butter. I used a tiny bit more than the 2/3 cup, because it didn't seem like quite enough. And, I have a thing for apple butter.
4) Crumble the remaining flour mixture on top of the apple butter.
5) Spread the entire bag of butterscotch chips over the top. This alone will form it's own delicious, sweet layer.
6) Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges are a little bubbly with apple butter and the crumble is a golden brown.
7) Allow to cool completely before serving, and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

The original recipe called for chopped cashews to be included in the crumble for the top. I, however, hate nuts with a passion and never include them in my recipes. If you are interested in adding that extra crunch, add 1/4 cup of cashews in with the topping.

The butterscotch chips won't melt, so don't visually judge the doneness of these bars by whether or not they look melty. Instead, just look for golden-brown crumb topping peeking through, and the edges bubble a little bit with apple butter.

Don't confuse "apple butter" with "apple jelly." I'm sure there aren't many people who would do that, but I felt it necessary to mention. Apple butter is more of a sauce, made with real apples, cinnamon, and cloves, that's dark and rich with flavor, whereas apple jelly is a clear yellow jelly made with mostly corn syrup. It will be cheaper, but it certainly won't provide you with the proper texture and flavor.

Try this with cinnamon chips or caramel chips, too! You can also try new fillings, if you desire. I'll be trying this recipe with a pumpkin filling next.

Enjoy!