Streusel Topped Apple Cheesecake Bars


Ingredients:

Crust:

9 graham cracker rectangles
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped apples
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Streusel Topping:

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup French vanilla almond granola

Directions:

Heat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease 8- or 9-inch square pan with butter or cooking spray.
In food processor, place graham crackers, granulated sugar and lemon peel. Cover; process until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter. Cover; process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wipe food processor bowl with paper towels to remove any crumbs. Add cream cheese, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cover; process until smooth and creamy. Pour filling over partially baked crust.

In small bowl, toss apples with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Sprinkle over filling.

In medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, the flour and cold butter with fork or fingers until crumbly. Stir in granola. Sprinkle over apples and filling.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and center is almost set (center should jiggle only slightly when moved). Cool on cooling rack 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until chilled. Cut into 3 rows by 3 rows.

Recipe shared from: www.bettycrocker.com