My Famous Caramel Apple Cheesecake

This is my all time favorite recipe, and by far the one I get asked to share most often. A few years ago I was trying to think of a new special/creative dessert. Two of my favorite things are apple pie and cheesecake, so I figured why not combine them? The apple layer is my Mom's apple pie filling so its obviously the best. The cheesecake is a basic recipe I've used for years.

I know the recipe looks complicated, PLEASE don't be intimidated! I promise it's not as bad as it looks. There are a lot of steps but none of them are hard. It will take a good amount of time (maybe 3 hrs start to finish?), but that's because it cooks/cools at each stage so there is a lot of downtime.

Because there are so many steps, I'm breaking it down into a narrative. I'll re-copy the full uninterrupted recipe at the end so it's easier to copy/print.

Carrie’s Caramel Apple Cheesecake

First, get the apple layer ready to go. I think it tastes better if it simmers in the crock pot, but if you are like me and don't plan that far ahead you can also use a skillet. The combination of apples is really important here, the gala/fuji mix gives it a unique flavor. I slice them to about 1/8 inch thick using a mandolin. Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again: cardamom is a unique and expensive spice that is worth every penny, it really makes the dish. I've been working on the same jar for almost 2 years and there is still well over half left, so the $10-12 will be a one time investment. 

Apple Layer:

• 5-6 cups peeled, chopped, thinly sliced apples equal parts Gala and Fuji
• ¾ c white sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp allspice
• ⅛ tsp cardamom
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cold butter

Combine all dry ingredients then sprinkle over apples in crockpot and toss. Place butter on top. Cook on high 3 hrs or until apples are soft, stirring once halfway through

Alternate: Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and simmer over low-med heat approx 30 mins until apples are soft and juices thicken

Pre-cooking

Cooked and ready to cool

The apple mixture takes about 30 mins to cool/set, so I usually turn off the heat then start the crust/filling and the timing works out well.
The crust is as straightforward as it gets. I have (finally) learned a reliable trick to prepare the pan so the cake is portable later. I cut a piece of parchment paper about 2" bigger than my spring form pan, then lay it on the base before I attach the rim. It ends up looking something like this:

Crust:

• 1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ c sugar
• ⅓ c melted butter

Combine all ingredients, firmly press into bottom and 1” up sides of spring form pan. Bake at 375 for 8-10 mins. Cool completely

The cheesecake layer is also pretty foolproof, and comes together in the time it takes for the crust to cool. I usually use Neufchatel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese and you really don't lose any quality in the end result. Make sure you don't over mix it, beat just until the texture is uniform.

Cheesecake Layer:

• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• ½ c sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs

Mix first 3 ingredients just until combined, then beat in eggs until smooth

Now you just have to put it all together. Spoon the cooled apple mixture into the crust, then pour the cream cheese mixture over it. It might come up higher than the top of your crust, that's completely fine.

Layer 1

Layer 2, ready to bake

Bake at 350 for 35 mins. You might be tempted to open the oven to see/smell it as it cooks, but resist the urge! Opening the oven door will make the cheesecake crack/fall. Allow it to cool completely, then remove the rim of the pan and use the parchment paper to lift it onto your serving surface. This is a "do as I say, not as I do" moment, the cake was still warm when I took the pan apart so the crust/edge fell apart a bit before I snapped a photo. Lesson learned!


Half the fun if this recipe for me is decorating it at the end. I don't think it has any effect on the taste at all, but it looks very impressive when it's done. I arrange pecan halves around the edge to simulate the look of a pie crust, then arrange 5 in a flower/star pattern in the middle. Drizzle the whole thing with caramel and you're done!


Topping:

• 3-4 tbsp store bought carmel ice cream topping
• ½ c whole pecans

And again, uninterrupted:

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1 ½ c graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ c sugar
• ⅓ c melted butter

Combine all ingredients, press into bottom and 1” up sides of spring form pan. Bake at 375 for 8-10 mins. Cool completely

Apple Layer:

• 5-6 cups peeled, chopped, thinly sliced apples equal parts Gala and Fuji
• ¾ c white sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp allspice
• ⅛ tsp cardamom
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cold butter

Combine all dry ingredients then sprinkle over apples in crockpot and toss. Place butter on top. Cook on high 3 hrs or until apples are soft, stirring once halfway through

Alternate: Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and simmer over low-med heat approx 30 mins until apples are soft and juices thicken

Cheesecake Layer:

• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ c sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs

Mix first 3 ingredients just until combined, then beat in eggs until smooth (do not over mix)

Topping:

• 3-4 tbsp store bought carmel ice cream topping
• ½ c whole pecans

Spoon apple layer into prepared crust. Pour cream cheese mixture over apple layer. Bake at 350 for 35 mins until center is set. Cool completely, remove outside of pan. Arrange pecans around outside edge. Drizzle caramel sauce over top.

Using up some brown bananas

Note: I didn't have my camera ready for a real pic, so I borrowed this one . Sadly my photography skills are not this good

A friend asked me for a good banana recipe idea today, and I realized I had a few over-ripe bananas on my counter too. What better way to use them up than bake them into bread? Thanks for the inspiration!

A few recipe notes:
- Always use over-ripe (mostly brown bananas)
- 1 cup = 2-3 bananas. If you don't have quite enough you can supplement with unsweetened applesauce
- Cardamom is a wonderful spice that adds a special touch to the recipe. It's expensive and can be omitted, but after I bought it I started adding it to all banana, zucchini, and apple recipes and it makes a big difference.
- The recipe calls for sour cream, I actually substituted plain fat free greek yougurt
- You can add 1 cup mini chocolate chips or wild Maine blueberries (Wyman's frozen), or even a bag of mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups to jazz it up.You can also spice it up with 1/2 c peanut butter or chopped nuts

I learned a trick about a year ago: when making sweet breads (i.e. banana or zucchini), prepare the pan with grease and cinnamon sugar instead of flour. It prevents sticking and gives it a tasty and slightly crunchy crust.

Ok, getting to the point....

Sour Cream Banana Bread


1/4 c butter, softened to room temperature
1 c sugar
1 c mashed banana
1 c sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom


Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in bananas, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, about 1/3 at a time, and mix thoroughly. Stir in add-ins (chips, nuts, berries, etc) if desired.
Pour into a loaf pan prepared with grease and cinnamon sugar (2 tbsp sugar : 1/4tsp cinnamon)
Bake at 350 for 1 hour, cool completely.
*Wrap tightly in saran wrap and aluminum foil, wait 24 hours to eat. Trust me, its worth it.

Almond Joy Cupcakes - and Truffles

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there! I thought up the idea for these cupcakes a few months ago, but they're too involved to just make on a whim. Since my mom loves chocolate and coconut, Mothers Day seemed like the perfect time to give them a try. They came out quite good, the only critique I have is they were a bit dense for a cupcake. The recipe below reflects increasing the butter by 1/4 c, which should help. I had a lot of confection left over from each step, so I started a "scrap bowl" and turned them into a separate dessert. They aren't quite cake balls because if the amount of ganache that went into them, so I'm calling them truffles.

Almond Joy Cupcakes  

Cupcakes:

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 c butter, softened to room temp

1 1/2 c sugar

3 eggs

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3.5 oz (1/2 bag) sweetened coconut

Filling

1 c high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips*
1 c heavy cream

Frosting

1/2 c butter, softened to room temp

3 c confectioners sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

2-6 tbsp milk

Topping

3.5 oz (1/2 bag) sweetened coconut

1/2 c slivered almonds

To make cupcakes, cream butter and sugar very well in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, include sour cream and vanilla with last egg. Do not over mix. In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, about 1/3 at a time. Fold in coconut. Divide batter evenly into lined cupcake tins, filling each about 2/3- 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven at 300 for 30-35 mins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely for several hours or overnight.
You can toast the topping while the oven is still hot. Spread coconut and almonds on a baking sheet. Bake at 300 for 20 mins, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden brown. 


While the cupcakes are baking, make ganache. Heat cream over medium-low heat until just boiling, then remove from heat. *If using regular size chips, microwave them for 30 seconds on meduim power. If using mini chips use at room temperature. Pour the cream over the chips, let stand for 1-2 mins. Whisk smooth. Cool in the refrigerator several hours or overnight until solid. Place in a small bowl, beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Spoon into a pastry bag or ziplock bag with the corner cut. 


Spoon out a 1/2-1" hole in each cupcake. Put the pieces in the scrap bowl for later.

 

 Pipe ganache into each cupcake, then smooth with a knife so the top of the filling is flush with the top of the cake. Squeeze the leftovers into the scrap bowl. 

                      

 




Cream together the confectioners sugar, butter, and vanilla for the frosting. Add milk 1 tbsp at a time to reach desired consistency. Gently frost cupcakes, being careful not to mix the frosting and ganache. I found making the frosting just a little thinner than normal helped keep it neat and smooth.










Gently roll each cupcake in the toasted coconut/almonds to coat evenly.We found the cupcakes tasted better the next day, try to resist eating them right away!








Add the leftover frosting and topping to the scrap bowl. Mix well to combine, chill 2-3 hrs then roll into 1" balls and freeze. Melt more chocolate to dip the balls into, allow to chocolate to harden and enjoy. Store in the fridge.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Nurses' Week continues...I failed to think things through (shocking!), so here I am baking a second night in a row. We each had to bring something for the nurses' breakfast, I took the healthy route and went with carrot muffins. Ok, so maybe they aren't strictly healthy, but with 2 fruits and 1 vegetable they can't be all bad can they? This is my mom's recipe so I'll give credit where credit is due. No matter what I do mine never come out as good as hers, so I made some minor adjustments to keep myself from expecting them to be exactly the same. 

Carrot Muffins

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 c oil
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 - 8oz can crushed pineapple
2 c shredded carrot
1 1/3 c shredded coconut

Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom in a small bowl.
Beat oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually add dry mixture, blend just until combined.
Stir in pineapple (including juice), carrot, and coconut.
Divide evenly into lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 20 mins until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

*To make cake: bake in 9x13 pan for 50-60 mins

I didn't frost them this time, but here's my favorite frosting anyway:

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 - 3oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 c confectioners sugar

Blend cream cheese, milk, and vanilla until well mixed
Gradually blend in confectioners sugar, beat until light and fluffy
Spread over cooled muffins

Surprise Fudge

Happy Nurses' Week! By popular demand I made my "surprise" fudge to show my appreciation for all the great ladies I work with. When I saw a recipe for avocado fudge on AllRecipes last year, I was too curious not to try it. I make it a rule not to tell people the secret ingredient until they've tasted it, you all will have to take my word for it. It's delicious!
Note: This reflects 1/2 the original recipe. The whole thing makes WAY too much.

Surprise Fudge 

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 Baileys
1 c unsweetened cocoa
3 c confectioners sugar
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1/4 c white chocolate chips, melted

Puree the avocado and butter in blender or with immersion blender. Be sure to blend very well, it should be uniform color and texture:

Place mixture in saucepan over low heat. Add Baileys and cocoa powder, stir until very well mixed.
Stir in sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing completely after each addition.
Add melted chocolates, remove from heat as soon as mixed.
Pour in an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper. cool completely. Cut into squares.

Easter Dessert

I was looking for a nice spring dessert to bring to my family's Easter dinner and came across this on All Recipes. The frosting they suggested seemed very heavy (and labor intensive) for this type of cake so I tweaked the frosting from the Pina Colada Cupcakes below. The frosting was delicious, but the cake wasn't quite as flavorful as I hoped. I increased the amount of pureed strawberries when I wrote out the recipe, which I think will yield better results. Overall it was very good, I'd definitely make it again.

Strawberries 'n Cream Cake 


2 3/4 cups cake flour*
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 - 3oz package strawberry jello mix
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pureed strawberries


1 - 8oz container cool whip
1 - 3 oz package cheesecake flavored pudding mix
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 cups thinly sliced strawberries


Cake:
Preheat oven to 350, grease/flour 2 - 9" round pans. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, and jello mix. Beat in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. Alternately beat flour mixture and 1 cup milk into butter/sugar mixture. Do not over mix. Fold in pureed strawberries and 1 tsp vanilla. Divide evenly into pans, bake for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. 


Frosting:
Wisk together 1 cup milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Gently fold in cool whip. 


When assembling cake, arrange sliced strawberries between layers and on top of cake. I put my last layer of strawberries under the frosting so I could decorate the top. 


*I don't have much storage space for ingredients, so I make my own cake flour. Here's how: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/makeyourowningredients/r/Cake_Flour_Sub.htm

If you like Pina Coladas...

Keeping with tradition, I made some tasty treats to thank my coworkers for covering for me when I was away. I'm pretty sure I subconsciously picked this recipe because I wished I was still on vacation! Sadly I made them before I decided to start the blog, and they were long gone before I could snap a picture. 

Pina Colada Cupcakes 


1 box Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp dark rum
1 - 8oz can crushed pineapple (undrained)
3 eggs


1 - 3oz box coconut pudding mix
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
4oz Cool Whip
24 maraschino cherries


Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 375. 
Beat first 6 ingredients in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Divide into 24 lined muffin cups. 
Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely


Frosting:
Wisk together pudding mix, milk, and vanilla for 2 minutes. Gently fold in cool whip. Frost each cupcake and top with a cherry. 

The original recipe called for 1 tsp rum extract, but I figured why buy extract when I have the real stuff? If these weren't destined for work I would have also considered substituting regular or coconut rum for the vanilla in the frosting. 


Adapted from: Betty Crocker