Apple Picking and Maple Apple Bars

There are a handful of leaves in my backyard that have started to turn golden, and even a few that have fallen and turned into those delightfully crisp leaves that *crunch* when you step on them. That can only mean one thing!

Fall is here!

Now, we're still early fall, which I would like to call apple territory.

Fall flavors, go in those order:

• Apple Pie

• Pumpkin Pie

• Ginger Bread

Fight me.

Anyways, to welcome my favorite season, we decided to go Apple Picking at the Windy Hill Orchard in York, South Carolina! Plan ahead before you go, I believe you have to reserve Apple Picking now due to their limited quantity! We picked Stayman Winesap Apples, and they are perfect for baking and just eating! (more on baking in a minute)

Do yourself a favor, and grab a flight of their cider to share and bring a picnic full of vegan goodies to share, especially the Maple Apple Bars. See the thing is, the whole place is full of people eating (non vegan) apple cider donuts, and I just KNEW I would wan't something sweet and delicious.

So now that you are ready to go - let's go ahead and make those Maple Apple Bars!

Maple Apple Bars

1 1/3 Cups Brown Sugar (packed)

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Maple Syrup

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp (+ 4 tsp water) ground flax seed

2 Cups Flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 Cups grated Apple

Maple Glaze

1/4 Cup Earth Balance or Shortening

1/2 Cup Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flax and water and set aside to thicken. Mix all of the wet ingredients together in a large bowl, adding in the flax once its gelled. Combine the dry ingredients and mix into wet. Add your apple and mix until all incorporated!

Pour into a greased 9x13 metal baking pan and bake for around 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Take out and let cool while you prepare the glaze!

For the glaze, combine the shortening, maple syrup, and brown sugar in a pot and warm until all the ingredients are mixed together (shortening melted and brown sugar dissolved). Add enough powdered sugar until you've made a spreadable glaze. Carefully turn out your bars by cutting around the edge and flipping upside down on a cooling rack, then glaze your bars and let finish fully cooling!