Apple Butter Spice Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup spiced apple butter 
• 1.3 cups apple juice 
• 0.3 cup brown sugar packed
• 8 ounce cream cheese softened
• 0.5 cup apples dried sliced chopped
• 3  eggs 
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 1.5 ounce spiced cider drink mix 
• 18.3 ounce spice cake mix 
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil 
• 0.8 cup walnuts chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• wire rack
• baking pan
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry cake mix and 11?2 packets of the cider mix.
3. Add apple juice, 1?4 cup of the apple butter, the oil, and eggs; beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Pour into prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss walnuts and dried apples with the remaining 1?2 packet cider mix; set aside.
7. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, the remaining 3?4 cup apple butter, the brown sugar, and flour; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
8. Remove pan from oven.
9. Pour cream cheese mixture over partially baked cake.
10. Sprinkle walnut and apple mixture on top. Return to oven; bake for 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
11. Cut into bars.