Apple Slice Bars with On Guard & Lemon Oils

Made with a shortbread crust, sliced On Guard apple filling, crunchy crumble topping, these little beauties won't last long at all. The lemon glaze drizzled on top, with fragrant doTERRA Lemon oil is the perfect finish.

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup (50g) castor sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour

Apple Filling

• 2-3 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced

• 2-3 drops doTERRA On Guard essential oil

Streusel/Crumble topping

• 1/2 cup (40g) old-fashioned oats

• 1/3 cup (70g) packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup Icing sugar

• 2-3 TBS Lemon (or Lime) juice

• 3-4 drops doTERRA Lemon or Lime essential oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Line the bottom and sides of an 20cm/8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.

2. Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, castor sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the apple slices and streusel.

3. Make the apple filling: Peel and slice the apples, place in a bowl, cover with water and add 2-3 drops of doTERRA On Guard and stir. Set aside.

4. Make the streusel: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender, knife and/or with your hands, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the oats and set aside.

5. Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 180°C (350°F). Drain the apples and then evenly layer them on top of the warm crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. I usually cut them into 16 smaller bars, but you can cut them into 12 larger bars. Once cut, drizzle with the Lemon/Lime glaze. These apple slice bars can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or even cold.