Apple Streusel Bars

So a couple nights ago, I decided to try out this recipe I saw here from Crepes of Wrath, duplicated below:

Apple Streusel Bars
adapted from Our Best Bites

For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
1 egg, beaten

For the apple filling:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups (about 3 medium) thinly sliced apples
1/2 cup toffee bits (optional - I just sprinkled on a bit of extra brown sugar)

For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk or water
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract (I used vanilla)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. To prepare the crust, mix together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or clean hands until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

3. To prepare the apple filling, combine the 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss with apples and toffee and spread the apple mixture out on the prepared crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crust mixture over the apples evenly as best you can and bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes. When finished, allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

4. While the bars cool a bit, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk or water to achieve desired consistency, starting with 3 tablespoons. Drizzle the glaze over the bars with a spoon, then allow to completely cool and set, or serve warm. Cut into bars and serve.

Closeup:

(Almost) Full pan shot: (excludes the corner I had "tested")

I just took mine out of the oven when the crumbs on top looked sufficiently browned; it was a little under the indicated time. I also didn't use all the icing, possibly because my pan was smaller than the one suggested. These bars, however, taste exactly like apple pie! Easier to make, though, because just thinking about a pie crust from scratch gives me a headache. This one garnered rave reviews [though how can you go wrong with that much butter?] and it was pretty simple to throw together though I had a bit of trouble because I was missing my main mixing bowl... lesson learned: make sure your bowl is big enough when you're mixing the crust! I had flour going everywhere. Ultimately worth it, though!