Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

We like to have "snuggle nights" with our boys.  They get to stay up late and watch something fun or play games as a family.  It is a HUGE deal in our house and they will do almost anything to not miss out on these special nights!  Of course there are treats involved! It is usually some sort of milk shake, but when there is no ice cream in the freezer, you have to think quick!  I knew I had the stuff for Rice Krispie Treats but was in the mood for something a little more.  So, I added Oreos! Such a fun twist to an already quick and easy treat! They were a big hit with the "snuggle night" boys!

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

4 T butter
5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
20 oreos, crushed
1 t vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine Rice Krispies and crushed Oreos (I just smashed them in a large baggie). Set aside. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth, add vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the Rice Krispies and crushed Oreos to the melted marshmallow mixture.  Stir until evenly combined.  Press into prepared pan and let them cool and set.

Disappearing Marshmallow Bars

My friend brought these to a play date at the park and I think I may have moaned when I bit into one, I know, embarrassing! But they are that good!  The name of these definitely has a double meaning.  The first is that the marshmallows really do disappear when you cook them and the second is that the bars, themselves, disappear quickly because no one can keep their hands off! It is truly a sacrifice to wait for them to cool!  I never seem to be able to make it until they are completely cool before eating my first 1 or 4!

Disappearing Marshmallow Bars

1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a sauce pan, over medium heat melt the butter and butterscotch chips together.  Stir constantly until smooth.  Be careful not to over heat these or  ooh them too long, they will separate. (I had this happen, I used an immersion blender to bring them back together).

Cool butterscotch and butter to room temperature.  In a large bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, eggs and butterscotch mixture, until smooth.  The batter will be thick.  Now stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips.  Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  The center will feel a little soft, but will firm while cooling.  Let cool for 2-3 hours before cutting, if you can!

Rice Krispie Treats

Ok, so this is just one of those recipes that when I want to make them, I can NEVER find the recipe!  So, here it is my friends!  Although, I do change the recipe a little, I like mine gooey!

Rice Krispie Treats


4 T butter
5 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups rice krispie cereal
1 t vanilla

Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pan over medium-low heat.  Once the mixture is smooth, add the vanilla and stir to combine.  Add the rice krispie cereal and stir until evenly coated.  Dump into prepared pan and press down evenly using your hands sprayed with cooking spray.  Let them cool for about 20-30 minutes.

My Favorite Lemon Bars

I usually don't start into my citrus kick until closer to Spring, but call it the SUPER mild winter we are having or the fact that I am just so giddy that this is my LAST Michigan winter, I have been craving lemon bars for a few weeks now.  I finally gave in and turned to THE BEST recipe I know for these! I know that I already have a lemon bar recipe on here but this one totally trumps the first one.  I thought about just replacing the other one but I was afraid that someone out there LOVES the other one and didn't want to take it away from them.  With that said, I would replace the other one in a heartbeat with this one.  The ratio of lemon to crust is perfect, the lemony flavor is perfect, the crispy crust is perfect.  I really just can't say enough about these!  So, hands down this is the recipe you want if you are craving lemon bars or Spring, or sunshine (because these literally scream sunshine to me!).  I got this recipe out of this cookbook (it is one of my favorites!)

Lemon Bars

2 cups flour
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 t salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 t baking powder
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 in pan. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour, butter, powdered sugar and salt until crumbly.  Press the mixture into the prepared pan, making sure it is even.  Bake for 15 minutes until light brown on the edges.  In another medium bowl, Beat together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, 1/4 cup flour, and baking powder.  Pour the lemon mixture over the crust and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle.  You will know it is set as it will not jiggle.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool completely before serving.

Almond Roca

I have LOVED Almond Roca for as long as I can remember!  It is totally one of my favorite candies.  So, you can imagine how excited I was to come across this recipe.  But I was even more thrilled when it was easy, quick and OH SO GOOD! 

Almond Roca

3/4 cup toasted, chopped almonds*

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

6 oz (about 1 cup) milk chocolate chips

Butter a 7x11 inch pan.  Sprinkle half of the almonds on the bottom of the pan.  

In a heavy sauce pan, over medium high heat, melt the butter and then add the brown sugar.  Stir gently until boiling.  Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling until the temperature reaches 300 degrees (hard crack stage).  The best is to use a candy thermometer, doing it with timing can be tricky, especially if this is your first time making this.  If it gets higher than 320 it will NOT remain solid.  

Pour the hot mixture over the almonds in the buttered pan.  Pour the chocolate chips over the top and let them sit for a minute or two to melt.  Once they are melty, use a spatula to spread them evenly over the top.  Sprinkle the remaining chopped almonds over the melted chocolate.  Let the whole thing cool until the chocolate has set.  Use a sharp knife to break the almond roca into pieces.  Store in an air tight container.

*to toast almonds spread them in a dry skillet and cook them over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to lightly brown and you can smell them.  Let them cool completely.  Toasting nuts gives them a much crunchier texture and a richer flavor.

Fudgy Chocolate Chip-Toffee Bars

I actually have a few other recipes ready to put on here but I just couldn't wait to put these on!  Maybe I was just really craving chocolate or cookies or fudge or all of the above but  I made these last night and I literally moaned out loud when I took my first bite!  And today, well, I pretty much skipped breakfast, lunch and dinner just to justify eating more of these!  So I thought if they are that good they deserve a BIG picture.  Anyway, I think I first saw them on interest but they are from the Pillsbury website.  I don't usually buy into the whole "store bought" cookie dough thing, but in this recipe I don't think it really matters.  Besides, I LOVE how easy it made this recipe.  Ok, now go make these!  Try them warm (my favorite way) or cold (my husbands favorite).  Either way, I don't think you will be disappointed!

Fudgy Chocolate Chip-Toffee Bars

(about 32 bars)

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided

1 (8 oz) bag Heath toffee bits (found in the baking isle by the chocolate chips)

1 roll (12 oz) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (I used Nestle Toll House)

1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 T butter

1 t vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Spray bottom only of a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the graham cracker crumbs, and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits until crumbly.  Press mixture evenly into the greased pan.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm. 

Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature until it softens slightly.  In a 2-quart sauce pan, heat chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and 1 T butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Spread evenly over the graham cracker crust.

In a medium bowl, break up cookie dough and stir in the remaining 1/2 cu of graham cracker crumbs.  Crumble this mixture evenly over the fudge layer.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.  Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool as long as you can.  The longer they cool the firmer the bars will be.

Day 116 - Jam or Marmalade Bars?

I would much rather have strawberry jam bars as I think the rest of the family would, but that is not the direction I took.
Remember back on day 73 when I made Orange Marmalade Soufflé with Grand Marnier (I STILL love to say that - it sounds SO cool on the tongue!)?
Yes, I still have that orange marmalade in the fridge and noone's touched it and I certainly haven't because I just don't like the stuff.
Yeah, so why would I make something that nobody will probably eat?  Because I don't want to waste the marmalade. 
I know.
I hear you chuckling.
Yes,... you.
I'll be wasting BOTH the marmalade AND the bars this way.
Oh well, we'll see.

The recipe said to use an 8-inch square pan.  I own a 9-inch square pan or an 8-inch round pan.  I chose the round knowing the 9 would be too big and didn't want to burn my creation. 
I certainly wouldn't want to waste it by BURNING it!  ;-) (I need to add smiley face icons - on my to do list...)

This is from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Thirteenth Edition, p.632; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House, Inc.; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

Jam or Marmalade Bars - 16 bars, wedges, or pretty designs

½ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon salt
jam or marmalade (did not specify an amount in the recipe)

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Grease an 8-inch square pan.
Cream the shortening with the sugar, vanilla and almond extract.

Stir in the egg and blend well.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt, add to the first mixture, and combine thoroughly.

Spread half the dough in the pan.

Cover with a layer of jam or marmalade.

Pat the remaining dough on top and bake for 25 minutes.

Cool, then cut into bars 4 X 1 inches.

Or is you're using an 8-inch ROUND pan, cut into wedges however big or small you want.
'Cause they're your bars.

Or you can just cut them into pretty designs without regard to being pushed into making bars OR wedges.

Live a little.
Cut things differently.

Go outside your box.

...

ok, I'll stop.

If you have questions about pan sizes and substituting, check out this page at the Joy of Baking.  It was helpful and I know I'll need to consult this info. again during the course of the year.

Everything that I make is rated on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and these orange marmalade bars earned 2½ rolling pins.
I knew I was going to have a problem putting the top layer of dough on the marmalade.
It really was a no-brainer that when I attempt to push the dough out from the center of the pan to the edges that the marmalade is going to move to the edges with it.
Yeah.
Before I placed the ball of dough on the top I flattened it as best I could like a pizza.  I placed that on the marmalade, but it wasn't big enough and still had to push it to the edges with a rubber spatula.  Consequently, there was more marmalade on the outer edges than there was in  between the layers.  It could have been the reason for it being dry, too.  Just guessing.
At first bite, they were very dry, but then the more I chewed, they became a little addicting.  And there really wasn't an overwhelming orange marmalade taste.
Go figure.
Know why?
It was all, ok, well almost all of it, pushed to the outer edges where it became crunchy and chewy which, I have to admit, was rather good.
Ultimately, I thought they were just kind of eh, or as we used to say in my high school French class, "Comme ci, comme ça" - could be better, but could be worse.

There.

There's your French lesson for the day.
The next time someone asks you how you're doing, say, "Comme ci, comme ça" (pronounced "come-see comme-saah"), and see how impressed they'll be!
Either that or they'll look at you like you have two heads and will wonder what the heck you said.
Cuisson Heureux!

Day 106 - S'mores Bars

Yesterday and today have been spent largely in front of the computer.  I'm not kidding.  I spent from 10am-5pm yesterday glued to the laptop and today, I have been mostly in front of the PC when I'm not doing some housework or baking for today.  The reason, this absolutely awesome webcast through CreativeLive.  It has been a 3 day course in Seattle on food photography given by Penny De Los Santos.  She is an INCREDIBLE photographer and has such an incredible talent!  She has photographed for National Geographic and currently works for Saveur magazine.  She has also started a blog called Appetite. 

Yesterday she went over principles and some basics and today she showed how she does set-ups in the studio with a food stylist.  It was SO cool!  Seeing it live on the internet was definitely the next best thing to being there.  AND Shauna Ahern from The Gluten Free Girl was there today, so we were able to see her take part in it, too.
Sitting through this course has definitely made me see food in a different way and has really motivated me to improve my pictures.  Penny says food is sexy.  And it is!
I'm excited to see how I can incorporate all that she's been teaching.  First, I really need to read the manual that came with the camera. Haha. That would help!  I've been using my daughter's Nikon D40 and don't have my own, but now I WANT one!  Birthday's coming...oh, honey...
Yes, a REALLY nice camera AND an iPad.

Since my daughter is now home for the summer from college, I figured I'd dedicate today's recipe to her.  She's been e-mailing all these recipes that she wants me to make this summer while she's home.  We're definitely going to gain some weight if we do everything that she sent me!  Needless to say, she's very glad to be home helping out with this project and will be very well fed.

I was inspired to do this recipe when I saw a post on Dana's Food For Thought.  I have really been enjoying her website.  She is an inspiration as she's very creative and loves to enter her creations in contests.  She has also talked about taking some various food classes which has peaked my interest.  But what really got me was her picture in S'mores post of the jar of Marshmallow Fluff.  She had never tried it and was actually quite opposed to purchasing it for the recipe, but after tasting the bars she was won over.
I haven't shared this with her, but being from Rhode Island, that Fluff is a staple in our household even since we've moved out to Arizona.  My husband and I even grew up with it!  I buy the tubs by the case from where else, the Marshmallow Fluff website, of course.
We really only use it for Fluffernutters - a peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich.  Dana, maybe you'll even try one of those one day.


S'mores Bars

1¼ cups Graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup flour
4 1.55 oz. Hershey bars
24 marshmallows

Butter an 8 X 8" baking dish.
Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add melted butter and mix thoroughly.  Pack ½ of mixture into the bottom of the dish.

Add egg and flour to remaining crumb mixture and mix until well combined.
Outline inside perimeter of baking dish on a piece of parchment paper.  Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Place egg, flour, crumb mixture on parchment paper and cover with another piece of parchment.  Roll out dough until it just reaches the area of the outline.

Put both the baking dish and cookie sheet in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Place marshmallows on a greased cookie sheet and place under low broiler for 5 minutes.  Be sure to check on them frequently!  After 5 minutes, turn all marshmallows over to broil the other side for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven.

I just wanted to eat ALL of these before I used them!

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Remove both the baking dish and cookie sheet from the refrigerator. 
Arrange the chocolate bars on top of the set crumbs in the baking dish, so that it is completely covered.  Place the marshmallows on top of the chocolate in two layers.

Take the cracker dough that is on the parchment paper and invert it on to the marshmallows.  Remove parchment and press the dough down.
Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Ok, just so you know I am baking a different recipe every day (or at least attempting to when I'm not sick with a headache or when Blogger is down) andt they may not always be recipes that I would encourage you to copy.  I am going to have those days when things don't turn out as I would like them to.  I started this blog as a way to preserve our family recipes, share them along with other recipes I find in my cookbooks, from friends and on the internet.  There are some days I like to try to make someone else's recipes one of my own, but it may not work.
This, I think, was one of those days.
Don't get me wrong, it was really good and all ('cause when is something with chocolate NOT good?), but the elements just didn't come together.  I didn't want to copy Dana's S'mores, but now I'm thinking that was probably the way to go.
Everything I make I rate on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and the S'mores Bars earn 2½ rolling pins.  They were yummy as the combination usually is, but there were some technical flaws.  I should have put the flour and egg in the whole mixture of cracker crumbs instead of just half.  So, not doing that, the bottom layer was extremely crumbly.
Also, the marshmallows were very stringy.  They were much stringier (is that a word?) than I thought they'd be.  You know, like when you're eating fried mozzarella and you take a bite, go to swallow and some of it goes down, but the other half is still stuck in your mouth?  Yeah, it's kind of like choking or gagging.
You KNOW what I'm talking about!
On that note - haha, happy baking!

Day 80 - Brown Butter Pantry Bars

       I know, weird title, but I couldn't think of what else to call them because this is truly a recipe from scratch.  Not that all of the previous 79 haven't been, it's just that this one I completely made up out of my own little head.  I was looking through the pantry and found various ingredients and thought if I threw them all together, they might make a decent tasting bar.  We'll see.  I guess I could have called them Odds & Ends Bars, too, but the other title sounds a little more appetizing, I think.

     Brown Butter Pantry Bars

     ½ cup (1 stick) butter
     1½ cups flour
     ½ cup sugar
     1 egg
     1 teaspoon vanilla
     1 can sweetened condensed milk
     ½ cup white chocolate chips
     ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
     ½ cup cherry Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)
     ½ cup chopped peanuts

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.
     In, small pan, melt butter until it is browned.  Remove from heat.

     In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, and sugar.
     Add butter, egg, and vanilla to mixing bowl.  Mix well until thoroughly combined.

     In a 9 X 13" baking dish, spread dough evenly over bottom of pan.
     Pour can of condensed milk over dough, spreading evenly with a spatula.

     Sprinkle semi-sweet and white chocolate chips on top of condensed milk.  Follow with Craisins.

     Scatter peanuts evenly over top.
     Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.

 Allow to cool completely before cutting.
    
     I probably should have added a ½ teaspoon salt to the dough, but I forgot.  This was fun!  I really liked being creative and adding different things.  I was going to add some miniature marshmallows, but I thought that might be overkill and that they would already be sweet enough.
     Yes, they are very sweet and they fall apart easily.  They are not too exciting, so I wouldn't recommend printing this recipe.  I didn't even take a finished picture because it just wasn't worth it.  They were waaayyyyyy too sweet.  I am amazed that people are able to make recipes up.  I can follow a recipe, so that it turns out really well, but make my own things up?  I'm just not there yet and I wonder when I will be.  Everybody has a special purpose in life; maybe mine's just following the recipes, not creating them.  I'm okay with that, but I'm still jealous.
     I rate my recipes on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best.  These didn't cut it, so I'm giving them a 1.  Oy.  They were really sickening sweet.  Although the dough with the brown butter was good, maybe I'll have to work that into something else.
     Happy baking!

Layered Brownies with Browned Butter Frosting

I am just one of those people who don't always keep up with the "fads".  I guess that is why it has taken me so darn long to make browned butter frosting. Now I am left thinking to myself "WHY?" Why did I wait so long and how can I add more hours to my day to work off all the browned butter frosting I will be consuming?!  It is heaven, pure and simple! And when you put it on top of brownies and then top them with MORE chocolate it is pure heavenly bliss! So get going already, you NEED these! I got this recipe at My Kitchen Cafe, of course! I did change them to match what I had in my pantry (my mom's pantry, actually!)

Layered Brownies with Browned Butter Frosting
makes a 9x13 pan of brownies

Brownies:
1/2 cup butter
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 t salt
1 cup flour
1 t vanilla

Browned Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 t vanilla

Glaze:
3 T butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300.  Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

For the brownies:
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and chocolate chips until smooth. Set aside until cool. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and salt.  Mix with an electric mixer until the eggs are pale and the mixture is thick. Fold in the warm chocolate/butte mixture and then add the flour and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  The brownies should just start to pull away from the sides.  Cool completely before frosting.

For the Browned Butter Frosting:
Place the stick of butter in a sauce pan and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes or until the butter is a golden brown.  Be careful not to burn it. Once it is a nice caramel brown color remove it from the heat.  Pout it int a bowl and add the powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and thick.  Spread the frosting on top of the cooled brownies.

For the glaze:
Melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave or over low heat until smooth.  Pour over the frosted brownies, tipping the pan to cover evenly or carefully spread with a knife or spatula. Chill the brownies until the glaze is set, about 2 hours.

Day 45 - Apple Oatmeal Bars

     I laughed a lot today.  Life is good.  I have all three of my children at home for a week.  I can't possibly imagine what it will be like when it is just me and my hubby in the home alone (oh, and the dog, and my sous chef cat).  I will definitely miss all of it, even the arguments.  They are growing up so quickly.
     Today it's Apple-Oatmeal the New Doubleday Cookbook, p. 852; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher, Doubleday, a division of Random House; ISBN, 0-385-19577-X.

     Apple Oatmeal Bars

     1 cup sifted flour
     ½ teaspoon salt
     ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
     1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
     1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oatmeal

     Filling
     2½ cups finely chopped or thinly sliced, peeled apples
     ¼ cup sugar
     ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

     Preheat oven to 400ºF.
     Sift flour with salt and add brown sugar. 

Using a pastry blender, cut in 1/3 cup butter until the size of small peas; mix in oatmeal.  Pack half the mixture into a well greased 9" x 9" x 2" pan; top with apples and sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. 

Dot with remaining butter and cover with remaining oatmeal mixture, pressing down lightly.  Bake 45-50 minutes until tan on top.  Cool upright in pan on a wire rack and cut into bars.

 

     The rating system on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best is what I use for my recipes.  The family has discussed and decided these were worth a 2.  The bars were just kind of ok.  Unfortunately, there was no wow factor.

     Happy baking!

Macaroon Brownies

I simply love macaroons and chocolate so when I came across this recipe at Tasty Kitchen I knew it was meant for me! I did adjust the recipe slightly and added chocolate frosting, because you really can't have enough chocolate in my opinion! If you are going to do it, do it right! You just might want to make these for your love this Valentine's Day!

Macaroon Brownies

brownies:
3/4 cup melted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 t vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 t salt

filling:
4 cups coconut
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 T vanilla (yes, tablespoon)
1/4 t salt

frosting:
4 T butter, melted
1-1/2  heaping T cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 T milk
1/2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 (325 if using a glass pan). Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Melt butter and add sugar, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Mix well.  Add eggs and whisk until combined.  Stir in flour and salt.  Stir until smooth.  Pour half the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Combine all the ingredients for the filling. Stir until well mixed, and spread over the batter in the pan.  Drop remaining brownie batter over the filling in spoonfuls and then spread out evenly.  (This can be a little tricky, I found a butter knife worked best). Bake at 350 (or 325) for 40 to 45 minutes.

For the frosting: melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth.  You can frost the brownies while they are still warm by pouring the frosting over the top and letting the frosting set or you can pour the warm frosting over individual cooled brownies so it drips down the sides.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I have had these on my "to try" list for sometime. I keep seeing them pop up on different food blogs so I decided it was high time I gave these bad boys a try! Oh so glad I did! I may just never make apple crisp again...these are that good. I originally saw them on A Hint of Honey.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

(directions borrowed from A Hint of Honey)

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

Cheesecake Filling:
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Apples:
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Caramel Sauce:
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper 

(I just greased my pan and they worked just fine). Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 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.

4. In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

5. To make the streusel, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter with your fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the apples.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set.

7. To make the caramel sauce, whisk together the sugar and butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat until it melts. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Drizzle over cooled bars.

Fills a 9x13 pan.