Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

I did not realize this dish looked like a sunflower until Faith saw the picture and said so (duh!). It would be great if you had a sunflower theme. You might do a better job of arranging the apples than I did. Of course if you want it to look like a sunflower be sure and use yellow, or mostly yellow apples like I did.

It's hard to decide what to indulge in this time of year. All the wonderful harvest foods, like fresh apples and pumpkin) have so many variations, one could never get tired of them. Or at least not while the leaves are falling.

This past weekend I scheduled an appetizer night, an event my family loves where we fill our plates with the kinds of foods we don't get to eat except on the rare occasion we serve an appetizer -- very rare, I assure you. For dessert, what's better than another appetizer style dish -- dip!

This recipe turned out so wonderful, I would be tempted to eat it every day. It wouldn't be healthy to eat every day, as I can always turned something very healthy -- a juicy, fresh apple -- into something unhealthy. This time I can blame Michelle at The Brown-Eyed Baker for turning a healthy food into a sweet treat. It took less than a week after Michelle posted this recipe for me to try it. That's just about a record. The boys liked this dessert, but not as much as Faith and I did. We hovered over the plate until our bellies hurt.

I made the recipe almost like Michelle did, except I cheated and used Smucker's Caramel Ice Cream Sauce, since I was already making several appetizers for dinner. I also omitted the Heath Bits because of Noah's nut allergy. I did sprinkle the caramel sauce with sea salt, but it may have been lost in all the other flavors. I wouldn't say it was crucial. I also used two 8 oz blocks of cream cheese, for a total of 16 oz., simply because I wasn't paying attention. I would recommend using the 16 oz because when are you ever going to use up that little chunk of cream cheese left over? I also may or may not have quadrupled the amount of caramel sauce. Hey, her first name is Caramel.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip

serves about 10 

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup powdered sugar

3 T. heavy cream

½ t. vanilla extract

1 cup caramel sauce, divided

2 T. Heath bits, divided

2 T. mini chocolate chips, divided

 fresh apples, cored and sliced (I used a mix of Jonagolds and Golden Delicious -- my Goldens were slightly tart)

 Line a 4-to-6-inch round pan or bowl with plastic wrap, using enough so that the excess hangs over the sides of the pan; set aside. I would suggest a bowl with a rounded bottom for a rounded top when you flip it.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until light and smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract and beat again until completely combined and smooth, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Spread half of the cream cheese mixture into the plastic wrap-lined pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Top with half of the caramel sauce, spreading it to within a ½-inch of the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with half of the Heath bits and mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and top with the remaining cream cheese mixture, spreading it in an even layer to the edges of the pan. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top of the cream cheese. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the pan from the refrigerator, pull back the plastic wrap and invert into the center of a serving plate. Remove the remaining plastic wrap. Top with the remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Heath bits and mini chocolate chips. Serve with apple slices. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Source: Brown-Eyed Baker

New York Style Cheesecake

hello?

anybody out there?

 I know you're busy.

Too busy to cook?

 Maybe you're not too busy to make cheesecake. I promise you can have this cheesecake in the oven in less than five minutes. You don't even need to wait for the preheat.

 This is the cheesecake I grew up with. I must say it seemed like the most glamorous thing my mother made, but now that I make it myself, I realize it's probably the easiest thing she ever made. You don't even make a crust -- just add 2 tablespoons of flour to the cheese mixture and it settles on the bottom. It's pure cheesecake deliciousness.

 I made my last cheesecake (pictured) with homemade cream cheese. I am not going to get into that right now, but it was more wet than block cream cheese from the store, thus my cheesecake was more moist. It was delicious, but the picture does not look exactly like the cheesecake normally. It gets higher, and more firm.

 New York Cheesecake 

serves 12-16

 4 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese (full fat) 

1 pint sour cream (full fat) 

3/4 cup milk (preferably whole milk)

 4 eggs 

1 T. vanilla extract 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

4 T. flour

 Bring cream cheese and sour cream to room temp -- just get them out in the morning and let them sit. 

Grease and flour a 10" springform pan. 

Cream the cheese and sour cream for a minute or so, until it is fully combined. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and flour. Add milk. Beat only until all ingredients are incorporated. 

Pour mixture into pan (I wrap foil around the bottom in case the pan leaks a little). Place in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 375 degrees. Bake for one hour. 

Turn off oven but don't open the door. Leave cheesecake in oven for one hour. 

Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let sit at room temperature for two hours. Chill until ready to serve (several hours or overnight).

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Triple Layer Cheesecake

These photos have been sitting on my desktop for a month now, since my son's birthday in August. Everytime I sit down at the computer they are a reminder of its yumminess. ;-)

I love cheesecake and so do all of the members of my family, but I always forget just how very easy it is to make. It's easier than pie because there is no bothersome crust to fuss with, and in many ways easier than cake -- no fussy frosting after it cools. Simple ingredients and great awe factor!

For his 15th birthday last month my son asked for a triple layer cheesecake. He wanted a super duper chocolate layer, a medium chocolate layer, and a vanilla layer. It sounded complicated, and truly until I was in the midst of it, I thought it would be. But the layers are dense -- especially the bottom one, so they don't run into each other at all. I made the base of the cheesecake and then added different quantities of melted chocolate to two of them, giving me the three layers.

Noah requested a graham cracker crumb crust, but this would be just as good (and more chocolatey!) with chocolate cookie crust. I added a little bit of cocoa for some chocolate flavor.

Triple Layer Cheesecake

serves 12-14  

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1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 cup 

melted butter 

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened 

 3/4 cup sugar 

4 eggs 

1/4 cup heavy cream

 2 t. vanilla extract

 pinch salt 
1 T. flour

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) bittersweet, or extra dark, chocolate chips, divided 

1 t. shortening

You'll need a 9" springform pan and a portable or stand mixer.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and cocoa. Stir until combined. Add butter and mix until mixture resembles sand. (If you crush the crackers in the food processor just add the other ingredients one at a time until you have the sandy mixture)

Pour into 9" springform pan and press against bottom and about 

1-1/2 inches up the side. I use the flat bottom of a glass for good compression.

Set crust aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until very smooth. Gradually beat in eggs, heavy cream, vanilla and salt, beating until well blended; set aside.


Saving 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips, place remaining chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir. Continue to microwave on high for 30 seconds, stirring after each period, until chips are melted. It should take about 1 min 30 sec.

Cool for several minutes.

Gradually blend 1/3 of the cheesecake batter into melted chocolate. Spread 3/4 of that mixture into the prepared crust (just a rough guess -- not science).

Add another 1/3 of the base into the chocolatey base remaining in the bowl. Carefully spoon it over the first layer.

Add 1 T. flour to the remaining vanilla base, mixing well, and then carefully spread it over the second layer.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, immediately loosen cake from side of pan. Cool to room temperature.

Place reserved 2 T. chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at until melted.  Drizzle over top of cheesecake. Cover; refrigerate several hours until cold.