Think apple tree crisp. Drizzled amongst caramel. Served over cheesecake with a dark-brown saccharide crust. With a niggling fleck more caramel for adept measure. And at that topographic point you lot accept Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars. Are you lot drooling? Well, you lot in all likelihood should be.
I made these bars for the first-ever Improv Cooking Challenge, orchestrated together with hosted yesteryear the fabulous Sheryl at Lady Behind the Curtain. Our challenge? Bake upward a dish using the 2 ingredients specified yesteryear our challenge hostess - this fourth dimension around, apples together with caramel.
Truth survive told, I'm non a fan of apples together with caramel together. Apple desserts? Love them! Caramel? Love it! Together? Not hence much. Those ooey-gooey, oh-so-sticky, almost-pull-my-teeth-out caramel apples on a stick? Detest them. So, in all likelihood needless to say, I wasn't but absolutely over-the-moon thrilled nearly this constituent pairing (sorry, Sheryl!).
But, I actually wanted to participate inwards the Improv Cooking Challenge, amongst this grouping of bloggers. So off I went inwards search of a caramel-and-apple recipe that would pique my interest. Oh, how I produce honey a challenge!
I came across several possibilities inwards my searching travels, but none grabbed me quite similar these cheesecake bars from The Girl Who Ate Everything. My heed together with my eyes but kept on coming dorsum to them. So, these niggling gems are what I went with! And I'm hence glad I did.
I mean, basically apple tree crisp on overstep of cheesecake?? With caramel??? Come on! What's non to love?
You construct these niggling beauties inwards layers - starting amongst a dark-brown sugar-based crust. Then you lot pour on cheesecake batter, layer on cinnamon-coated apples, together with overstep that amongst a buttery streusel layer.
Pop it inwards the oven until it's laid upward together with golden brown, together with and hence drizzle on to a greater extent than or less caramel topping.
The exclusively modify I made to this recipe was to trim the amount of butter inwards the crust together with the streusel topping. I recollect it could survive reduced fifty-fifty more, if you lot would like. It is, originally, a Paula Deen recipe, afterwards all! ... together with nosotros all know how she loves her butter.
When the bars are cooled, cutting into 'em together with drizzle on a niggling to a greater extent than caramel topping ... ya know, but because you lot can. Then dig on in! I shared these amongst my squad at school, together with almost everyone asked for the recipe. Yes, this is i of those recipes.
And I accept to say, this is i caramel together with apple tree combination fifty-fifty a non-caramel apple tree lover tin larn behind! And biting into it won't clit your teeth out. I promise.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Squares
Source: Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything (who adapted from Paula Deen)
(Printable recipe)
Ingredients
Crust Layer:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. firmly packed dark-brown saccharide
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
Cheesecake Layer:
three (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
three eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Apple Layer:
three tart apples (such every bit Rome or Granny Smith), peeled, cored together with finely chopped
2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. soil cinnamon
1/4 tsp. soil nutmeg
Streusel Layer:
1 c. firmly packed dark-brown saccharide
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/3 c. butter, softened
Caramel Layer:
1/2 c. caramel topping
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust Layer:
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour together with dark-brown sugar. Cut inwards butter amongst a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly.
3. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined amongst heavy-duty aluminum foil together with sprayed amongst cooking spray. Bake xv minutes or until lightly browned.
Cheesecake Layer:
4. In a large bowl, compaction cream cheese amongst the 3/4 loving cup saccharide inwards an electrical mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, together with and hence add together vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.
Apple Layer:
5. In a modest bowl, stir together chopped apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, together with nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.
Streusel Layer:
6. In a modest bowl, combine all streusel ingredients. Using your hands or a fork, mix until the ingredients come upward together together with cast modest crumbs. Sprinkle apples evenly amongst Streusel topping.
7. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set.
Caramel Layer:
8. Drizzle baked bars amongst caramel topping together with allow cool. Serve cold.
Enjoy!
