Monday, September 11, 2017

Apple Pie Cheesecake: Blog With Friends

Today’s post is the next in our series of Blog With Friends theme collaborations. Each month a group of bloggers get together and each publish a project based on a theme. What I love about this partnership is that it’s not bloggers with similar interests or strengths but a diverse group coming up with a variety of posts. In any given month we may have a recipe, sewing tutorial, crafts projects, book review and/or a technology post all related to the theme of the month.


Blog With Friends, a monthly project based blogging collaboration | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



There will be individual project pictures and links to what everyone else has to offer at the end of my post, but here’s a peek at what we all came up with:


Blog With Friends, multi-blogger posts. This month's theme: Apples | Shared on www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #DIY



This month's theme is Apples. This is a perfect theme for me not only because I love apple season but also because Rosh Hashanah is in 9 days. It's traditional to serve apples dipped in honey on Rosh Hashanah, symbolic of our wish for a sweet new year. So for our apple theme I made an Apple Pie Cheesecake.

Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah

Apple Pie Cheesecake
Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah

When my kids were young, every year I'd invite a number of friends for an apple picking day. The day before, I'd make my Smoky Cornbread and White Chili. On apple picking day, I'd put Crockpot Beef Chili into the slow cooker and the families would head out to the orchard. We'd all ride the hay wagons, pick our apples and head back to my house where I'd have bought a pretty pie dish for each family. The kids would scatter to play, anyone who wanted to watch football would head to the man-cave in the basement and the rest of us would make batches of my Devil's Applesauce and Apple Pies. For dinner we'd all converge on the kitchen for White or Beef Chili and Cornbread with warm apple pie for dessert. At the end of the night each family would take home some applesauce and their own pie. SO much fun.

Although the local orchards have since closed down, my love of apple season has not diminished. I always make my apple pie and applesauce, but each year I work to come up with something new as well. This year, with Rosh Hashanah in mind, I've chosen to make a cheesecake with all of the flavors of an apple pie.

I start with the crust, and I chose to use cinnamon flavored cookies. I crushed them in the food processor, mixed with some melted butter and patted into my springform pan.


Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah



I beat together the cheesecake ingredients, including some apple pie spice, then added some toffee baking chips. 

Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah


Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust and it's ready for the oven.


Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah


Meanwhile I sauteed chopped apples for the filling. As per Rosh Hashanah tradition I added some honey to the apple mixture. I set this mixture aside to come to room temperature.


Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah


When the cheesecake was done, I let it cool on the counter, then refrigerate until cold.


Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah


Once the cheesecake is cold and the apples are cooled, they meet, fall in love and marry.


Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah

Celebrate apple season with an Apple Pie Cheesecake, apple pie flavored cheesecake with a caramel apple topping. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #apple #RoshHashanah


Happy apple season, everyone.

As always, any time you make one of my recipes, feel free to post a picture of it to my Baking In A Tornado Facebook Page. I'd love to see it!


Be sure to visit all of this month's other Blog With Friends projects:

Kia of Think in English shares Comparing Apples to Dragonfruit, How to Assess ESL Students from Very Different Backgrounds.
Blog With Friends, multi-blogger posts. This month's theme: Apples | Comparing Apples to Dragonfruit, How to Assess ESL Students from Very Different Backgrounds by Kia of Think in English | Shared on www.BakingInATornado.com

 Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom shares her recipe for Apple/Sweet Potato Muffins.
Blog With Friends, multi-blogger posts. This month's theme: Apples | Apple/Sweet Potato Muffins by Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom | Shared on www.BakingInATornado.com

Eileen of Eileen's Perpetually Busy shares her recipe for Mini Apple Crisp Pies.
Blog With Friends, multi-blogger posts. This month's theme: Apples | Mini Apple Crisp Pies by Eileen of Eileen's Perpetually Busy | Shared on www.BakingInATornado.com


Lydia of Cluttered Genius shares how to make an Upcycled Harvest Door.

Blog With Friends, multi-blogger posts. This month's theme: Apples | Upcycled Harvest Door by Lydia of Cluttered Genius | Shared on www.BakingInATornado.com

Rabia of The Lieber Family Blog shares how to make your own Fall potpourri, Scents of Autumn.
Blog With Friends, multi-blogger posts. This month's theme: Apples | Scents of Autumn by Rabia of The Lieber Family Blog | Shared on www.BakingInATornado.com



Be sure to stop by again next month for more theme based projects.

Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics






Apple Pie Cheesecake
                                            ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Ingredients:
1 package Chips Ahoy Thins Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, crumbed
4 TBSP butter, melted
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp apple pie spice mix
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup toffee baking chips

2 TBSP butter
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (I use Braeburn)
splash of lemon juice
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup caramel sauce


Directions:
*Grease a 9 inch springform pan. On the outside of the pan, wrap a sheet of tin foil around the bottom and partially up the sides of the pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
*Mix together the melted butter and cookie crumbs. Press into the bottom of the springform pan. Set aside.
*Beat the cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and apple pie spice mix until smooth. Beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, then the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the toffee chips. 
*Pour into prepared crust and bake for about 60 - 75 minutes, until the center is just set. 
*Remove from oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
*Meanwhile, in a saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped apples and lemon juice. Cook and stir until they soften. Mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir one more minute then remove from heat and stir in the honey and caramel sauce. Cool completely to room temperature.
* Gently run a knife around the cheesecake before removing the side of the springform pan. Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the cheesecake and serve.
*Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.

26 comments:

  1. Goodness, that looks so good!! Of course, I'd have to wait to make it until I had a house full of company since my daughter and I are the only ones that will eat cheesecake around here.

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  2. What a gorgeous picture. 9 days away and I have made no plans, Yikes! At least I have a good happily married apple and cheesecake recipe. Thanks!

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  3. That looks amazing and guess who just put a bushel of apples in the deep freezer! Momma loves fried apples and biscuits. I have to give this a try! Cheesecake & apples why have I never thought this through!

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    Replies
    1. I'm jealous of all those apples, hoping to have more myself soon.

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  4. Amazing mixture of ingredients I never would have thought of for a cheesecake. I just bought apples for a crisp-will I change my plans? Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. You can't go wrong, whatever you do with those apples!

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    2. I've been ordered by my husband to make it. We'll see! Alana

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  5. Ohhh delicious. Your story of inviting the kids also takes me back to my childhood where we just all would gather and play together. Fall is my favorite season, hands down, and I loved the smell and breezes and more! :) Also pinning for future reference!

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    Replies
    1. I'm a summer girl but I do love the scents of Fall, especially apple and cinnamon.

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  6. Community orchards? That's what we want to plant here!
    That day sounds like so much fun!
    And Apple Pie Cheesecake. Well that's just perfection piled upon perfection!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, a community orchard would be perfect. Loved those "pick your own apples" days.

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  7. Love how you used to celebrate apple picking day! Hay wagon rides, how fun. And of course you combined all the yummy desserts into one, very clever to use cinnamon cookies for the crust. I bet it's delicious. Here's to a sweet and happy new year!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Tamara, can't believe Rosh Hashanah is just around the corner.

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  8. Another fantastic recipe with my favorites--apples. When we lived in Iowa we always went apple picking
    and brought home a huge basket. Thanks, Karen.

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    Replies
    1. I miss apple picking, really need to find another orchard and start going again.

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  9. I have never heard of an apple pie cheesecake but damn it does sound nice

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  10. I must admit, I have never had an apple pie cheesecake.....but it looks amazing and easy to make. I love anything with apples it. I even cut up apples in my salads. They are so yummy.

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    Replies
    1. I do too, I like the ones that are a little tart like Honey Crisp and Braeburn.

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  11. Every time I see a spring form pan in the store I think of you and I almost buy one. Maybe next time, I really will...spring for it!

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