Heavenly Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Have you ever eaten something that you could describe as "heavenly"? You know the kind of experience that as you take that first bite, you hear an angelic choir singing and the beam of light shines down as you savor the deliciousness?! I can't even describe how wonderful these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are, all I can say is that you'll both love & hate me for sharing this amazing recipe! You'll love me because it'll be one of the best things you've put into your mouth, and you'll hate me because you'll want to eat the entire pan! haha!

This is a Paula Deen Recipe, and I originally found it on the Food Network website here. They have many wonderful recipes to peruse through, you'll definitely want to check it out! Here at Achieving Proverbs 31, we're planning a "Week of Apples" on the blog, we hope this recipe will jump start the week, making you want even more. Stay tuned for many more scrumptious recipes and please do yourself a favor and take the time to make the recipe below! :-)

~Lauren
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Streusel topping, recipe follows
• 1/2 cup caramel topping (melted caramel candies work fine as well)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Drizzle some of the caramel over the warm crust.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.

Streusel Topping:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

Yield: approximately 3 cups