Finally!  I’ve completed my Holiday Baking To Do List . . . three days after being back at work. Did I just say it has only been three days? Uhgg, It feels like three weeks!  Since we’re back to the teaching grind stone, I thought I would help things out by contributing to Thursday Treats.  Did it sound like I was trying to show some sort of altruistic side just then? Ummmm, ALMOST . . . not quite . . . if the real purpose of helping out with Thursday Treats was to complete my Holiday Baking To Do List, then I don’t think the act can be considered altruistic.

I love lists and make them for everything.  School To Do’s, Provincial Committee To Do’s, WalMart List, Grocery List, Christmas List, Christmas Discount List, Website List, Things To Do Tommorrow List, Things To Do Next Week List, Things To Do Next Month List . . . I think you get the picture.  Having a list settles my brain.  When I head to the grocery store without a list, I come out with nothing that I went in for.  I made a Holiday To Do List, and I HAD to complete it!  It was a mission.  You might think I’m rambling here, and you would be right!  On to the post!

Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars

(adapted from http://grinandbakeit.com)

1- 900g bag of oatmeal cookie mix

1/2 cup cold butter

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened (I used light)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray.

Place cookie mix in large bowl. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and coarse. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture (to use for streusel recipe below); press remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar . . .

. . . flour, vanilla and egg on medium until smooth.

Drop cream cheese mixture by the spoonful onto the partially baked crust.  This will help you spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust.  Spread to cover.

In medium bowl, mix pie filling and cinnamon.

Use the same spoonful technique and spread it evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

Streusel Topping

1 1/2 cups reserved crumb mixture from crust

1 cup cold butter

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 3/4 cups brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Clean out your mixer bowl, and then add reserved crumbs from crust, butter, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix until it is crumbly.  Using your fingers, break crumbs into small chunks and spread over top of the apple filling.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes longer or until light golden brown. (Mine actually took around 55 mins!)  Cool about 30 minutes. Refrigerate, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Oats make them healthy, right?

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