Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I know this has nothing to do with caramel apples or cheesecake, or their marvelous fusion into these bars. But I wanted to tell you so badly. Yesterday I saw heart surgery. (Specifically it was a double valve replacement and coronary artery bypass graft.) Typically, I'm in the post-anesthesia care unit, taking care of (or being entertained by) patients waking up after surgery. But on occasion I get the chance to visit the OR and be a part of the procedures. I never get to choose where I go, and in the past I've seen a few cool things- a spinal fusion, ulcer debridement, kidney transplant and enough c-sections to scare me out of ever getting pregnant (just kidding). But yesterday I got to see the human heart. I saw the heart beating and the lungs breathing. And then stopped as all the blood was shunted through a bypass machine. The patient was essentially killed and revived several hours later on that operating room table, the surgeon's own hands massaging the heart back to life. Aside from the bone sawing and flesh slicing that is an unavoidable aspect of surgery, it was a delicate and beautiful thing. I am always amazed at the resilience of the human body and the ability we have to give someone a second chance at life.

Surgery inspires and enthralls me in a way that no other aspect of nursing has. I've applied for internships in both the operating rooms and peri-operative units for after graduation. They are extremely competitive, so I'm not counting on getting in. But at least now I know where I want to be.

It strikes me funny that cooking and surgery have a lot in common. (Not that I'll be performing many surgical procures as an RN.) On several occasions I have thoroughly disgusted Dustin by dissecting the left-over carcass of my roasted chicken and presenting him with the vertebrae and spinal chord. I find such things fascinating. I hope I haven't ruined your appetite, because these cheesecake bars really are amazing. After 18 months of hospital life I can scarf down lunch between giving an old man a bed bath and watching a ventriculotomy. So you'll have to excuse me for mixing food and surgery. They're my life.

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

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

Homemade Caramel Sauce, for drizzling (half of this recipe will be more than enough)

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). 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 streusal, 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. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Refrigerate until cold. Cut into squares and serve.

Fills a 9x13 pan.

(Adapted from Food Network via The Girl Who Ate Everything )