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It may look like a chore, but this cheesecake tart calls for a relatively straightforward preparation: First, press the crust into the tart pan. Next, mix the cream cheese filling, fill the tart shell, and bake. Finally, gild the pie with sautéed tart apples, and paint them with melted apple jelly for a jewelled effect.

Ingredients

CRUST
  • 1 cup finely ground gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 24 to 28 cookies)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • Vegetable cooking spray
FILLING
  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
TOPPING
  • 3 pounds tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons apple jelly

Preparation

Prepare Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Stir together gingersnap cookie crumbs and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl until moist.
  3. Press crumb mixture on bottom and up sides of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
Prepare Filling
  1. Beat cream cheese and next 3 ingredients at medium-low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
  2. Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared crust, spreading with an offset spatula.
  3. Place tart pan on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is almost set.
  5. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 40 minutes).
  6. Chill 8 to 12 hours.
Prepare Topping
  1. Stir together apples and 1/3 cup light brown sugar in a large bowl.
  2. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Add apple mixture to skillet, and cook, stirring often, 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. Remove skillet from heat, and cool apples completely (about 30 minutes).
  5. Arrange apples on top of chilled cheesecake in a decorative fashion. (To achieve a rosette look, start by arranging apples in an overlapping circular pattern about 1 inch from the edge of the crust. Make a second small circular pattern inside the first. Thinly slice some of the cooked apples, curl them, and place in the center of the tart.)
  6. Microwave jelly and 1 teaspoon water in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 20 to 30 seconds or until melted and smooth. Brush apples with half of jelly mixture.
  7. Preheat broiler with oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Broil tart 2 to 3 minutes or just until apples begin to brown. Remove from oven, and brush apples with remaining jelly mixture.
  8. Chill 1 hour before serving.

Note

Tart will hold in refrigerator overnight, but the crust will soften the longer it sits in the refrigerator.


Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie
In fall or any time of year, this nutty, rich and delicious pie is one I am proud to serve. While it seems very special, it’s a snap to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/4 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) fat-free caramel ice cream topping
  • Additional fat-free caramel ice cream topping, optional

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Line a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate with pastry. Trim and flute edges.
  3. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel
    topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.
  5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned (loosely cover edges with
    foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly).
  6. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour.
  7. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before slicing. If desired, garnish with additional caramel ice cream topping.

Yield:
6-8 servings.


Carrot-Cake-Cheesecake
Two of our favorite cakes come together to make the ultimate spring dessert, this decadent carrot cake cheesecake. If you like carrot cake or cheesecake, you have to try this one! It’s an elegant dessert that is certain to impress. It would be perfect to make for Easter or an upcoming birthday. Really, who wouldn’t love this?

The ingredients and directions do look rather lengthy, but this is easier to make than the recipe makes it appear. Besides, even if it took hours to make, it’s worth it, this is carrot cake cheesecake! The hard part of this is the wait. Yes, cheesecake requires that long cooling and refrigeration period but the patience pays off once you get to sink your fork into a piece of this utterly divine cheesecake, through each of those irresistible layers, and you get to slowly savor each and every bite… Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cheesecake Mixture
  • 2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened well (but not melted)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
Carrot Cake
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups finely grated carrots
Topping
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

For the cheesecake mixture:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons flour until well combined. Add cream cheese and using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together cream cheese and granulated sugar mixture until smooth.
  3. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition and adding in vanilla with second egg.
  4. Blend in sour cream. Forcefully tap bowl against countertop about 30 times to release air bubbles.
  5. Set mixture aside.
  6. Rinse beaters clean. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg for 30 seconds.
  7. To a separate large mixing bowl, add canola oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and blend mixture using electric hand mixer set on low speed for 1 minute.
  8. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well blended.
  9. Add carrots and mix until evenly distributed. Tap bowl forcefully against counter, about 3 times, just to release large air pockets.
To assemble cheesecake:
  1. Pour 1 1/2 cups carrot cake mixture into buttered springform pan and spread into an even layer. Dollop about 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture by the spoonfuls over carrot cake layer (don’t spread or swirl).
  2. Spoon remaining carrot cake mixture over cream cheese layer, then finish by drizzling by the remaining cheesecake mixture over carrot cake layer, working to cover all of the carrot cake mixture (I found this easiest to do this was by slowly drizzling over with the spoon).
  3. Bake in preheated oven 60 – 65 minutes, until center portion only jiggles slightly and tenting with aluminum foil at 40 minutes to prevent excessive browning (tent in a way that the foil doesn’t touch cheesecake or it will stick).
  4. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack 1 hour, then cover with foil and chill in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.
For the topping:
  1. In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Add remaining topping ingredients and mix until pale and fluffy, about 4 – 5 minutes.
  3. Spread evenly over cheesecake then chill cheesecake in freezer for 20 – 30 minutes. Sprinkle edges with chopped pecans.
  4. Cut into slices.
  5. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Pumpkin-Pecan-Cheesecake
We’ve combined the flavors of three holiday favorites–pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake– to create this luscious holiday dessert.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Praline Topping
  • Garnishes: coarsely chopped Pecan Pie-Glazed Pecans, fresh sage leaves

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  2. Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. (Pan will be very full.)
  3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
  4. Remove sides and bottom of pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Prepare Praline Topping; immediately pour slowly over top of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/4 inch of edge. Garnish, if desired.

Try This Twist

Sweet Potato-Pecan Cheesecake: Substitute 1 1/2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes for canned pumpkin. Proceed with recipe as directed, baking 1 hour or until almost set.


Pumpkin-Pecan-Cheesecake
Combine your favorite Thanksgiving desserts into one delicious cheesecake! A sweet Praline Topping sends this dessert over the edge.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Praline Topping
  • Garnishes: coarsely chopped Pecan Pie-Glazed Pecans, fresh sage leaves

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  2. Beat cream cheese and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and lemon juice, beating until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. (Pan will be very full.)
  3. Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
  4. Remove sides and bottom of pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Prepare Praline Topping; immediately pour slowly over top of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/4 inch of edge. Garnish, if desired.

Try This Twist!

Sweet Potato-Pecan Cheesecake: Substitute 1 1/2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes for canned pumpkin. Proceed with recipe as directed, baking 1 hour or until almost set.


Pecan-Cheesecake-Pie
This indulgent treat has layers of creamy cheesecake batter, a classic pecan pie filling, and crunchy pecans.

Ingredients

  • 1 single piecrust
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 4 large eggs, divided
  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 cup light corn syrup

Preparation

  1. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate according to package directions. Fold edges under, and crimp.
  2. Beat cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into piecrust; sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans.
  3. Whisk together corn syrup and remaining 3 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla; pour mixture over pecans. Place pie on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 350° on lowest oven rack 50 to 55 minutes or until pie is set. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour or until completely cool. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 days.