Caramel-Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

You must think that all I ever cook or eat are desserts. You are almost correct. Every day, I try to eat something from the other food groups, but this “dessert food group” just calls my name. This dessert is amazing! Very easy, and a great dish to make for company. You just cannot go wrong when you make anything out of a Paula Deen magazine and this one is from one of her Special Collectors issues!
Makes 2 doz bars
2 cups flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup buter (keep this cold and do not let it soften, it makes it easier to work with)
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tables sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 teas vanilla
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas ground nutmeg
*Streusal Topping (recipe follows)
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
(If you have not invested in a Vidalia Onion chopper from Bed Bath & Beyond, do so, it saves you hours of chopping onions, potatoes, apples. It is so easy to clean and store and I cannot believe I lived 58 yrs without one.)
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 13×9 baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15 min or until lightly browned.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour over warm crust.
In a small bowl, stir together chopped aples, remaining 2 table sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. *Sprinkle evenly with Streuseltopping. Bake for 30-35 min or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel.
*Streusel Topping
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and butter. Using pastry blender, cut the butter um in the flour and brown sugar until it remembles crumbs.