caramel apple cheesecake bars

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

photo & recipe via Zoom Yummy

DOUGH

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

APPLE FILLING

2 larger apples (Golden Delicious)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp granulated white sugar

CRUMB TOPPING

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour

TOPPING

3/4 cup caramel topping

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (or a fork) until the mixture is kind of crumbly. First with your fingertips, then with the bottom of a cup (or a glass), press the dough evenly into a 13 × 9-inch baking pan or a cookie sheet with edges. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In the meantime, in a larger bowl, beat the cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time (beat about 20 seconds after each addition). Next add the vanilla and mix until combined. Make sure not to over-beat the cheesecake batter as this will lead to excess air being incorporated in and may cause cracking later on. Pour the cream cheese batter over the warm crust.

Peel the apples and chop them into 3/4-inch (2 cm) chunks. Mix the apple chunks with the cinnamon and two tablespoons white sugar. Spoon the apple chunks evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

In a smaller bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar and flour for crumb topping. Cube the butter) and using a pastry blender (or a fork), create a crumbly mixture. Crumble over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake 30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Reduce the temperature to 300° F for the last 5 minutes.

Cut into bars. Drizzle with the caramel topping. YUM!