Caramel Apple-Pear Granola Cream Pie

Oatmeal Crust Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oats, almonds, powdered sugar , flour, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Stir in butter. Grease/spray a 9-inch pie pan. Press half of oatmeal mixture into bottom and up sides. Take remaining half of oatmeal mixture and spread it out onto a greased cookie sheet as if making 1 large cookie. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool while making pie filling.

Apple-Pear Cream Filling Preparation:

In a saucepan, whisk together sugars, lemon juice, butter and maple flavor over medium heat. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, cornstarch , cinnamon and salt and sprinkle into sugar mixture in saucepan. Mix in sliced apples and pears. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth. Stir cream cheese mixture into warm apple mixture until well incorporated. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

Assembly:

Take baked large "oatmeal cookie" and crumble it into small chunks. Sprinkle oatmeal crumble onto pie filling, covering it almost completely. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 375 degrees F. Cool at least 30 minutes. While pie is cooling, prepare caramel sauce.

For Caramel Sauce:

Unwrap caramel candies. In the top of a double boiler , melt the caramels in the evaporated milk , stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth and pourable. Pour caramel sauce in a zigzag pattern over cooled pie. May serve with whipped cream or ice cream , if desired.