Apple Caramel Cheesecake Pie

6 Comments


Let me just say that this cake is amazing! How can you go wrong with cinnamon apples, caramel, pecans and cheesecake filling!? I made this recipe for my family for Thanksgiving in October. Everyone loved it. It is a fairly light dessert, so it is perfect to serve after a huge meal like Thanksgiving. It was a bit of work, but it was so worth the effort! 
Ingredients
For the crust:
  • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • 5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • ½-¾ cup caramel
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple filling:
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the cheesecake:
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping:
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 3-4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼-½ cup caramel
  • Chopped pecans

Method
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.  Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color.  Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans.  Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling.  Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat.  Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell.  Set aside.
Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F.  To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.   Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust.  Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.)  Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer.  Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.  Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired.  Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.

Pumpkin-Spice Granola

Leave a Comment


I’ve been wanting to try and make homemade granola recently, as I worry about all of the additives in the store-bought versions. And I thought it would be fun to look for an autumn-inspired flavoring for the granola. While looking for a good granola recipe, I stumbled upon a pumpkin-spice granola on my very favourite blog Annie’s Eats. Since I’ve been on a pumpkin kick lately, I thought this recipe would be perfect! And it is! It is an extremely tasty granola the smells as good as it tastes! The granola is amazing over top of vanilla yogurt. A perfect breakfast. The recipe did not call for dried cranberries, but I added them for a pretty splash of colour and for some extra flavour.
Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups rolled oats
  • 2 ½ cups puffed rice cereal
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • up to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts
  • up to 1 cup raisins


Method

Preheat the oven to 325°.  
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats and puffed rice cereal.  
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Whisk until very smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated.  Spread on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Then turn over the granola using a large, wide spatula.  Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden.  Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola and let the rest cook until done, 10-15 more minutes.  

Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack.
Break up granola as desired and toss with dried fruit.  Store in an airtight container.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with Garlic Potatoes

21 Comments

I’ve been a vegetarian for 13 years and I can honestly say, I never miss eating meat. However, I do miss the heartier dishes such as pot pie and shepherd’s pie especially when the weather is growing cooler and snow can be expected any day. And since I was so used to eating both pot pie and shepherd’s pie with meat, I was not too sure how to make the vegetarian variety.

 

Recently, I was watching “Chuck’s Day Off” on the Food Network and was elated when he made a vegetarian shepherd’s pie. But it was not just any shepherd’s pie! The mashed potato topping has a whole head of roasted garlic, a block of goat cheese and a decent amount of cream! And under the layer of potatoes is a fantastic, flavourful layer of roasted spaghetti squash. And the final layer, veggies (I substituted zucchini for the mushrooms) and lentils in a herb sauce. I made this meal for my family & I would venture to say that everyone loved it. NOTE: this makes a large pan of shepherd’s pie which lends itself to a lot of leftovers.

 

Ingredients

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (60 ml)
  • 2 cups bread crumbs (500 ml)
  • 1 cup milk (250 ml)
  • 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts (60 ml)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (15 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (15 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon flat parsley, chopped (15 ml)
  • 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled but not peeled
  • 1/4 cup melted butter (60 ml)
  • 1/2 cup smooth goat cheese (125 ml)
  • 1 cup 35% cream (250 ml)
  • 3 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 6 cups wild mushrooms (you can substitute zucchini)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup dried Du Puys lentils, cooked (250 ml) (could use kidney beans or chickpeas)
  • Fried shallots to garnish
  • Salt and pepper

 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C).
  2. First, cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 ½ hours. As an alternative, place on a plate and cook in the microwave on high for about 20 minutes.
  3. Put the garlic head on a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and put in the oven for 30 minutes or until the garlic is very tender.
  4. In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the milk. Let stand for 5 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Mix in the pine nuts, the eggs and herbs. Put aside.
  5. Mash the potatoes with the butter, goat cheese, cooked garlic puree and cream to make them nice and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Remove the spaghetti squash flesh with a fork and put it in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and put aside.
  7. Preheat the oven to 450 °F (230 °C).
  8. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and saute the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms (or zucchini) and continue cooking until brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cooked lentils and the bread mixture. Stir and put aside.
  9. In an 8 x 11 inches (20 x 28 cm) baking dish, spoon the vegetable mixture onto the bottom. Layer with the spaghetti squash, then the potatoes and smooth them down. Cook in oven for 30 minutes or so until top is slightly browned. Garnish with fried shallots to taste.

 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 70 minutes
Yield: 8