I love my church! I go to New Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church. It's a small church and I have attended this church since I was born (other than a few years when we were at college or lived out of town - then we attended other churches). It's that quintessential small-town, country church, where everyone is your neighbor. People who truly pray for you when they say "I'll pray for you" and people who love your children as if they were their own. People who give you food from their garden or fresh baked goods from their oven, just because they care about you. People who find a need in the community and then give everything they've got to fulfill that need. I know some people say that church isn't about the people in it - it's about the Holy Spirit. I agree. But, isn't it awesome to go to a church where the Holy Spirit is alive and working in us PLUS you're surrounded by caring, friendly people?! Sorry... I got off on a tangent! I can't help praising God for my church family, once I start thinking of them.
Back to the apple recipe... I knew it'd be perfect for our Sunday lunch, after our Homecoming service today. The only problem was that I'd never actually made or tasted this dessert. Oh well, I could tell by the ingredients list that it would have to be yummy.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Here's what you'll need:
Crust --
2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 sticks (1 c.) butter, softened
Cheesecake Layer --
3 pks. (8 oz. each) cream cheese (I used 2 low-fat packs, and 1 regular pack)
3/4 c. sugar + 2 Tbsp sugar (keep these 2 amounts divided up - you'll use the 2 Tbsp for the next layer)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Apple Layer --
3 large apples peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Streusel Topping --
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, softened
Caramel sauce or ice cream topping (Save this for after baking and you can use as little or as much as you'd like - I used about 1/2-2/3 cup.
Here's what you'll do to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In medium bowl, combine ingredients for the crust, using a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into small bits, while mixing it well with the other ingredients. Press evenly into a 9x13" dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, or lined with foil. Bake 15 minutes until browned.
3. In another, large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup of sugar until smooth, with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add in vanilla and mix well once more. Pour over warm crust.
4. In a small bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the apple layer. Add to this mixture the remaining 2 Tbsp. of sugar. Mix well, then spread evenly over the cheesecake layer.
5. Finally, combine the ingredients for the streusel topping in a separate bowl, except the caramel sauce. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the apple layer. This covered almost the whole dish for me and when it baked, it spread out some, so the entire top was covered.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with caramel sauce.
7. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.
*I highly recommend running a knife around the edges before trying to serve this dessert, as the crust layer tended to stick in the corners, especially.
Yumm-O! If you're a cheesecake fan and an apple fan, then this dish is for you. This was one of my hubby's favorites. He loves apple pies or apple jack pies and he loves cheesecake, so he has already requested that I make this one again soon. Hope you enjoy!
