Apple Cheese Crisp

So, apples right? I love apples and I especially like baking with them. Not that I don't appreciate a nice naked, low fat apple. I do. But with just a few, slightly more calorie dense additions, you can really improve not just the apple, but perhaps your entire outlook on life.

Larry loves apple pie and though I am working on it, I am not fond of making pie crusts. I have mentioned my grandmother's ability to seemingly draw forth a perfect pie crust from thin air, but I am no where near as skilled as she. I like apple crisp because it is easier than pie. [ha! get it? easier than pie!] The addition of the cheesecake layer is pure inspiration in my book. You can let me know what you think.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10 inch pie plate liberally with butter.Peel and slice 3 large apples. You want enough apples to loosely fill the pie plate about 2/3. Combine the apple slices with a pinch of salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and about 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix well and spread evenly in the pie plate, leaving plenty of gaps for the cheesecake filling.Beat together 8 ounces of room temperature cream cheese or neufchâtel, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat until very creamy and pour over the apples, letting it settle into the empty spaces and spreading evenly over the top.Finally, combine 1/2 cup each all purpose flour and oatmeal, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, 5 tablespoons softened butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and pinch of salt. I use a pastry cutter for this but you use a fork or just your hands. Spread this mixture evenly over the top.Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes - until the apples are nicely soft, the top is browned and there is bubbly sauce from the apples around the edge.And then - you cut a nice big slice and eat it. Repeat as necessary.I would say it should be kept in the fridge after the first day, but it didn't last long enough to have to worry about it. Enjoy!