Apple Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

If I had to pick a favorite part of Thanksgiving this year I'd go with these cookie bars. Apple pie isn't typically a favorite of mine but I do love apple based desserts, especially if they are covered in ice cream and sitting atop a pastry. Just sayin'. So when this recipe came across my radar I was instantly sold. I think it was the first new recipe I added to my Thanksgiving menu for the year since I tend to stick with the same classic things, but this was a totally delicious hit. I really liked the end pieces since there was a higher cookie-to-apple ratio on the edges for some reason. Yum.. try these, soon.

A couple funny side notes- I used to be scared to make snickerdoodles because of the cream of tartar. I don't know what I thought it was, but clearly I didn't know it was just a powder... I wish I had researched it instead of skipping all snickerdoodle recipes for years! Aside from cream of tartar, I never cook with shortening. I bought it for these and Landon was intrigued. He kept yelling "ICE CREAM! FOR ME!" I think he would have been pretty disappointed if I let him lick the lard...

Source: Cookies On Friday

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 ounce can apple pie filling
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2- In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs; beat until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Do not over beat.
3- Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and then spread the apple pie filling over the dough. With the remaining dough, take small pieces and flatten them and place on top of the apple pie filling. Continue with additional pieces of dough, piecing together a random top. You will not cover all of the apple pie filling.
4- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the dough is baked and the bars begin to brown around the edges. Cool completely. Use the foil to lift the bars from the pan; place on a cutting board. Remove the foil and cut into bars.