* Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars *

My husband is a HUGE fan of appley-Streuselly desserts. When I saw this recipe on pinterest (found here), I knew he'd love it! This is a bit more of an involved recipe than you're used to seeing on here but it was well worth the effort. Don't let all the steps (and dishes) scare you...it is so good! I halved this recipe and put it in a smaller pan...but I wish I would've had all the stuff on hand for the whole recipe (although I'm sure my body is thanking me for not eating the whole pan).

* Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars *
1/2 cup caramel topping (I used ice cream topping...)

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks/knives) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 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, combine all Streusel topping ingredients using pastry blender or 2 forks/knives.

In another bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!