Cream Cheese Apple-Cherry Streusel Bars...

While one part of me is loving the heat we've been having lately, the other is not all that accustomed to the degree of humidity that reigns here in the south every. single. day. We did, of course, have these days in Minnesota, but I don't think it happened this early and often. With the cooling thoughts of fall scurrying around my mind, I thought these Cream Cheese Apple-Cherry Streusel Bars might be just the ticket to make this week's Wednesday Treat Day a sweet success.

To juice up the dried fruit used in these bars, we soaked the apples and sour cherries in a liquored concoction of brandy and zesty fresh lemon juice. They will need a good half hour or so for the liquid to soak in, plumping up the fruit, but since there are several steps to get these bars baked, you won't need to worry about starting this ahead of time. If you don't fancy having the dried fruit drink up a few tablespoons of booze, feel free to switch out the brandy for an equal amount of apple juice.

You'll be making quite a big bowl of the streusel topping, but it all won't end up on top - a portion is reserved and chilled, while the rest of the crumbly mixture is scooped into a large baking pan and pressed down to form a crust. Briefly set into the refrigerator to firm up the dough, the crust is then baked, naked, until it turns from pale to lightly golden.

While the crust cools, a basic cheesecake-like filling is made by beating together cream cheese and sugar, along with an egg and a pleasant shot of vanilla. Keep the egg out of the mix until the cream cheese has smoothed out and married with the sugar, then toss in the egg, beating it in as minimally as possible, until evenly distributed. You don't even have to dirty another bowl to prepare this, just use the same one that the crust was made in. Spread over the blonde base, the buzzed apples and cherries are scattered over the barely sweetened filling, followed by the rest of the streusel crumbles that had been kept in the refrigerator.

There will be fair amount of downtime once the bars come out of the oven - besides letting them cool completely, they'll need to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the filling to completely set. Slightly annoying (who wants to wait?!), yes, but this does make cutting them into tidy, clean bars a snap and allows extra time for the more delicate flavors to permeate throughout.

With their shortbread cookie-like base, these colorful rectangles can be eaten with a fork, but the crust is sturdy enough that one could just as well use their fingers to bring it up to their mouth, without worry that the bar would fall apart into a mess. Both of us went with the second option (less dishes later!) to give these a test and we were definitely not disappointed! The soft apples and chewy cherries popped with brightness, while the smooth filing set a creamy tone to contrast the ample amount of buttery, golden nuggets strewn over each bar. They do have a fall-time essence to them, but they are certainly appropriate anytime of the year... especially as an edible way to cool down during this steamy summertime!

Recipes
Cream Cheese Apple-Cherry Streusel Bars