10 October 2011


It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day!  In case you don't know, The Secret Recipe Club is a group of food bloggers who secretly make one of someone else's dishes and post them all on the same day at the same time.  This is my third month participating.  It's really fun, choosing a recipe to make, making the recipe, then reading about everyone else's recipes.  It's a great way to "meet" other bloggers and check out some great blogs that you never knew about before.

This month I was assigned the blog The Cookaholic Wife.  Nichole is a newlywed who likes to cook and write.  She has several recipes on her blog that caught my attention, like her Beef, Mushroom, and Spinach Lasagna, her Chipotle Chicken Burritos, and her Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Cheddar Mustard Sauce.  But in the end, I decided to go with dessert.  How could I see a recipe for Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Bars this time of year and not choose that?

I ended up making some changes to the recipe.  My bars have four layers: a graham cracker crust on the bottom, a cheesecake layer, a layer of spiced apples, and it's finished with a streusel topping.  Then the whole thing is drizzled with caramel sauce.  Are you drooling yet?  Here's the recipe.


Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
½ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
2½ cups apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, divided
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
¼ cup oats
4 tbsp butter
Caramel ice cream topping

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°.  Coat an 8x8” baking dish with baking spray.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.  Press into the bottom of the baking dish. 

Combine cream cheese, eggs, ½ cup sugar, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Pour over graham cracker crust.

Combine apples, 2 tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice.  Layer apple slices on top of cream cheese mixture.

Combine brown sugar, flour, oats, remaining ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, and 4 tbsp butter.  Mixture should be crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of the apples.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until center is set and top is golden brown.  Cool before cutting into bars.  Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Makes 9 servings.

Oh man, these bars are so good!  I don't have the equipment to make cheesecake (no springform pan), so making them in bar form is perfect for me.  I love the combination of the creaminess of the cheesecake layer, the tartness and sweetness of the apple layer, and the crunchy streusel on top.  They are the perfect dessert for apple-picking time of year!


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25 comments:

  1. There's something about "caramel apple" that just draws me in! These look great! Good choice for SRC!

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  2. Besides getting wonderful new recipes, I love the SRC because of the new blogs, I find, including yours. I have not had much time to explore but I have seen enough that I am bookmarking it and plan to be a visitor.

    It was the words caramel and apple that got me here. This is certainly drool worthy. Nice to meet you.

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  3. what a lovely idea, it is great the way you added another dimension to these bars. They look delicious.

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  4. Looks delicious and perfect for this time of year.

    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my SRC recipe this month: Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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  5. These just look so good!!!! Will have to make some!!!
    http://chocolatechocolatemorechocolate.blogspot.com/

    Hugs!!

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  6. Glad you liked them! I love the idea of adding in another layer.

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  7. Reading through the layers definitely hooked me. These sound awesome, especially since it's apple season. Great SRC pick!

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  8. These bars sound delicious! Great choice for this time of year especially!

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  9. Mmmm just the name of these has me swooning!

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  10. Oooooooh, these look amazing! Love that layer of spiced apples...bet it is amazing with the cheesecake!

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  11. YOu are killing me with apples AND pumpkin pie spice! These look so tasty!

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  12. Mmm apple desserts are my favorite - and cheesecake?! Yes!

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  13. Isn't it funny how we gravitate towards desserts as soon as the fall is here? :)
    Great pick! I would go for the same one:)

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  14. Seriously amazing recipe! All those layers must be a bite into pure deliciousness!

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  15. Delicious!! I have a million apples that need to be used. I see these bars in my very near future! :)

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  16. Ooh, yes, yum! Drooling. These really do look great. Perfect pick.

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  17. Oh now those look delicious! Bookmarking it! Thanks!!

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  18. Ohh, we both had caramel apple on the mind. ;) These look yummy!

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  19. Holy cow, I am drooling! Can't wait to make these!

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  20. That drizzle and that crumb topping make me so happy. So does your photo :)

    http://steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com/2011/10/octobers-secret-recipe-club-avocado.html

    ReplyDelete
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