Sweet Your Heart Out: Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Bars

If looking at the picture above doesn't make your mouth water then maybe taking a gander at the ingredient list below will inspire your taste buds. Speaking of the picture above, I had a blast photographing this dessert. I'm trying (I emphasize the word trying) to improve my photos. This is a work in progress obviously considering I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to using my camera. Point and click. Bare with me, will you my dear readers. ;) Thanks. So before I delve into my baking adventures I need to make a confession. Yes, yes, I'm still making confessions of goofing up even after all this practice I've been getting. Apparently it hasn't been enough because I'm still making the same ol' mistakes. But I guess that's when learning happens. Maybe someday the learning will actually sink in for me. Until then, I'll keep having confession moments to share. Today's confession is this: I forgot a crucial step in the crust baking process...I didn't bake it. Ha! I found myself stamping my feet in frustration when I realized that I'd poured the cheesecake layer on top of a crust that should've been baked in the oven first. Oops. Good news is that it didn't seem to mess things up too bad. The crust was a tad crumbly but the taste and aesthetics did all the talkin' so I was able to quickly forget about my blunder. Alas, I present to you, a lovely fall treat!!!!

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE APPLES:

• 2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions: 

FOR THE CRUST:

1. Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon until combined and crumbly.
2. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until lightly golden brown, about 8-12 minutes, set aside and let cool.





FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

4. Beat the sugar into the cream cheese until smooth.
5. Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla extract.
6. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

FOR THE APPLES:

7. Mix the apples, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg.
8. Sprinkle the apples on top of the cream cheese layer.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set

Prior to baking

Step 10. While your dessert is baking go check on baby girl in her crib/jail and see what is keeping her from taking a nap....

"Can't I be your taste-tester??"

The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg had infiltrated the house within minutes. Who needs Scentsy when you have these puppies baking in the oven?! I let the pan set for about an hour to cool before cutting into it. The very disappointing part about this recipe is that I had a mere thirty seconds to taste test it before shipping it off with a friend to take to the church for a fall fest dinner tonight. A very small amount of time to savor the flavor....not to mention that the piece I ate wouldn't have satisfied a mouse. But I can say that the one tiny bite packed a big punch. The apples were soft and cinnamony and melted in my mouth. Talk about a tease. Off went the pan of cheesecake bars to be eaten by the church folk. I'm thinking it's very necessary for me to re-attempt these bars (the correct way next time) so that the three of us can enjoy ALL of them! (Yes, very necessary). Add a caramel topping if you so desire. Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!