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Hello, foodies…

Halloween is right around the corner! Have you gotten your candy yet? Will you get very many trick-or-treaters this year? I haven’t bought my candy quite yet—I wanted to wait as long as possible so I didn’t eat it all myself. So far, my plan has worked. But I’m going to the supermarket tomorrow. And, while I'm there, I’ll also be buying ingredients to make my Ghost Shortbread Cookies because, well, they’re just mandatory for Halloween!

As if Halloween candy or Ghost Shortbread Cookies weren’t enough, I’m going to tempt you even more with a sneak peek at Wednesday’s recipe. We’re making Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars on In the Kitchen with David. Here’s how you make these, start-to-finish.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Serves 18

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:

• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar


• 1 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats


• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Apple Cheesecake Bars:

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4" pieces


• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp white sugar, divided


• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon


• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar


• 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened


• 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened


• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract


• 2 large eggs


• 1/2 cup caramel sauce, for topping

Preparation:

1. To prepare the streusel topping, place all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Gently, with your fingers, mix the dough until it's crumbly with medium-size pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.


2. To prepare the apple cheesecake bars, first place an oven rack in the lower-third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9" x 13" baker with cooking spray. Set aside.


3. Toss the chopped apples, 2 Tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-size bowl. Set aside. Combine the flour and brown sugar a large bowl. Gently, with your fingers, add the butter and mix the dough until crumbly. Evenly press the mixture into the prepared baker and bake 25–30 minutes, or until light golden brown.


4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the warm crust. Evenly spoon the apples (without the liquid it produced) over the cream cheese mixture, and sprinkle the streusel topping on top. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the filling is set.


5. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Cut into desired-size bars and drizzle with caramel sauce before serving.

This recipe is prepared with the Lock & Lock 6-Piece Bowl Set with 6 Holiday Gift Bags (K40983).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Foodies, the Lock & Lock 6-Piece Bowl Set is Wednesday’s Today’s Special Value® and I can’t think of a better way to store these bars after you make them. Or, if you’d like to give a friend or loved one a gift of food, why not make a batch of these cheesecake bars and give them a container to keep.

Let’s talk cheesecake for your blog question today. What does your favorite slice of cheesecake look like? Is it covered with strawberries? Is it mixed with chocolate chips? Does Junior’s make your all-time favorite cheesecake? I’ll see you Wednesday at 8pm ET, foodies.

Keep it flavorful!
—David