Maple Apple Cheesecake

I am not a patient cook.  I am the one who will stick my hand in a hot oven to steal a 425 degree, not quite fully cooked, potato wedge with my bare fingers, or taste the simmering soup with only a few blows and end up burning my tongue.  So when it comes to cheesecake, I'm pretty much a lost cause because the eight hour required settling time drives me absolutely mad, and I just can't keep my fingers out of it for that long.

For the most part, I've found that if I make the cake in the evening, it can have all night while I'm asleep to firm unimpeded.  I say "for the most part", because I go to bed thinking about it resting in my fridge, so naturally I dream about it, and of course I wake up at 2am, go to check on it, and have to poke at it to make sure it's firming, and then scoop a little out to make sure it tastes okay.  I'm quite proud because I only stuck my finger in this particular cake once when I should have been asleep, which is some kind of record for me.  I later found out, while we were eating cheesecake for breakfast, that my son did the same shortly after I did; I guess the apple never really does fall far from the tree after all.

I actually developed this recipe for a contest for midwestern desserts, but since I started late and then forgot to submit it until the day after the contest ended, it was never entered.  So, the recipe is now fair game to publish here instead.  While I was working on the recipe, I made three of the cakes.  In the first, I used honey, but as the cake settled, the honey flavor became so pronounced, that it was really the only flavor that could be tasted (and it was kind of gross).  The second was with maple syrup, which was perfect.  The third was the same as the second, just because the second was so good.

Just because I don't like taking any chances with the cheesecake sticking to the pan, after I butter the pan, I cut out a sheet of parchment paper to fit the bottom, and then butter that, too.  An easy way to be sure the parchment fits is to tear off a sheet (larger than the pan), fold it in half, fold it in half again, and then continue to fold from the center point until you have a narrow triangle.  Once you've got the triangle, place the point in the center of the pan and measure to the edge, making a fold or a mark of some sort, and then cut the paper; when you open it, it will fit perfectly into the bottom of your pan.

Fold the parchment in half

Fold in half again

Fold into a triangle at the fold point

Fold a few more times, keeping the point

Place the point in the middle of your pan, measure where the edge is, then cut 

Unfold and line the bottom of your pan

Maple Apple Cheesecake
serves 10-12

Crust:

• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup
• 1 c flour
• 1/4 c rolled oats
• 1/4 c pecans, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

• 2 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/3 c applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp pure maple extract
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/3 c pure maple syrup, divided
• 3 cups thinly sliced and peeled apples
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter the inside of a 9" springform pan.  Line the bottom of the pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit, and butter the parchment as well.

In a bowl, cream butter and maple syrup with a hand held electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Gradually add flour, oats, pecans and cinnamon until well blended.  Press the mixture onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the buttered 9" springform pan.

Place on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until set.  Cool on wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  On low speed, beat in maple syrup, sour cream and applesauce, just until blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Stir in maple and vanilla extracts (batter will be thin).  Pour over cooled crust.

Combine the apples, cinnamon, and 1/3 cup maple syrup.  Carefully arrange the apples over the top of the batter.  

Add the pecans into the apple bowl and mix to coat in any remaining liquid.  Sprinkle the pecans (and any remaining liquid) over the top of the apples.

Bake at 350F for about 1 hour, or until center is almost set.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, but do not uncinch the pan.  Cool at room temperature 1 hour more, then refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Naturally Sweet Apple Crisp

I'm still working through all the apples my parents gave us from before I posted about the Apple Pocket Pies! Applesauce, pie filling, cakes, muffins, apple butter, and this delicious apple crisp.  And in anticipation of the October Unprocessed 2011 Pledge going on over at Andrew Wilder's Eating Rules, I'm dehydrating some apples to use in granola for breakfast "cereal" (which will be one of my family's biggest struggles during the month).

I'm really excited about the pledge; we usually eat very little processed food, but there are a few hurdles we still need to get over; breakfast cereal is a favorite, quick choice for my son, crackers are well loved by everyone, and I'm sure there are a few more that don't scream out to me right now.  Over the course of October, I wonder what else we'll find that we have overlooked.  I'm planning to post our weekly menus along with recipes, and hopefully that will help some of you with ideas about how to proceed.  If you haven't already signed up, head over to Eating Rules and check it out.

I would have no problem with my family eating this apple crisp for breakfast, though. This recipe, originally from a very old country church cookbook in my Stack O' Cookbooks, has been adapted over the years to accommodate my huge disdain for processed sugar (the original recipe had 2 cups!).  It is now sweetened only by apples and maple syrup, which are sweet enough all on their own as far as I'm concerned.  Don't be alarmed by the giant pan of apples and the seemingly small amount of topping - it all works out after the apples cook down in the oven.  For the oil, I usually use butter, but I found when I made a vegan version for some of our friends that I really, really liked the way this crisp tasted with unrefined coconut oil; just the barest hint of coconut, and the topping held together more or less as well as it had with butter.  So feel free to use either butter or unrefined coconut oil (I buy whichever is available; either Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or  Spectrum Naturals Organic Coconut Oil).  A combination of both butter and coconut oil is nice, too, but be sure they are both melted to liquid form before adding them to this recipe.

Naturally Sweet Apple Crisp
supposed to serve 12, but we've never made it past 8

• 10 c apples, thinly sliced (peeled or not)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 c pure maple syrup
• 1 1/4 c rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• 1 c flour (unbleached white or whole wheat or a combination)
• 1/2 c pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp aluminum free baking powder (such as Rumford)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 c chopped raw nuts (I prefer walnuts, but pecans are delicious, too)
• 1/2 c butter or unrefined coconut oil (or a combination)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place the apples in a 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbs flour.  Pour 1 c maple syrup over all, then toss lightly to mix.

In another bowl, combine oats, flour, 1/2 c maple syrup, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nuts and butter/coconut oil.  Mix well.

Using your hands, sprinkle the mixture over the top of the apples (mixture will be too wet to "sprinkle" with a spoon).

Bake in preheated oven about 45 minutes, or until apples are fork tender and topping begins to brown.

Cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

Apple Pocket Pies

It's always funny to me when pie lovers learn what goes into pie crust.  They seem unanimously surprised by "all that butter".  Even my husband, who,while watching me make the dough for these little individual apple pies, vowed never to eat more than one slice at a time for fear his heart would stop working before he was done chewing.  Really, when you think about it, each serving only contains about 2 Tbs butter, so it's not exactly awful. Poor butter has been wrongfully demonized over the years, but because it is a simple, real food, it is infinitely more healthy than its margarine and shortening counterparts; my husband knows this because since we kicked "fake" foods to the curb many years ago, his overall cholesterol count magically dropped from frightening danger zone levels to normal, healthy levels (more on that in future posts).  Still, I guess, it's hard to completely break that psychological connection between "all that butter" and "poor health".

Just to be clear, though, I'm not advocating sitting down and licking a stick of butter for health reasons - that would be crazy.  I'm just saying pie is good.  And it's even better with whipped cream on top.

These mini apple pies are sweetened with maple syrup and thickened with instant tapioca.  Personally, I like the texture of fruit pies thickened with tapioca; the filling is never runny and the fruit seems almost suspended in a thick, juice infused liquid that provides just the right amount of hold for fruity pies.  I don't love flour as a thickener because all too often it has resulted in runny pies or I can taste the starchiness of having too much flour.  It's not going to be very often I suggest a fairly processed product on this blog, but instant-type, granulated tapioca is absolutely fantastic for pie filling.

I have no idea what kind of apples I used.  My parents have three large apple trees that we are fortunate enough to pick from each fall (thanks, Mom and Dad!), and they can't remember what kind they are.  Our own trees are only three years old and not bearing too terribly much fruit yet, and I can't remember what those are, either.  That's fine with me, though.  I understand that different kinds of apples lend different flavors and textures to different preparations, but as far as I'm concerned the free apple is the best apple, and they all taste good to me.  So, if you are an apple connoisseur, choose some nice, equally tart and sweet apples for these little pies.

For the dough, I used a basic pie crust dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Put those ingredients into a food processor bowl and pulse to mix.  Add:

• 2 sticks butter (16 Tbs), chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Pulse several times until all the butter is incorporated and the flour is mealy.  Add:

• 6-8 Tbs ice water

Pulse a few more times.  When you can pinch the mixture with your fingers and it holds, it's ready (it will still look mealy in the bowl).  If it doesn't, sprinkle with a little more water (1 Tbs at a time) and pulse a few times until it does. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, using your hands, bring together to form a ball.  Cut the ball in half.  Pat each ball into a 6x6" square.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 -60 minutes, or until ready to use.

Apple Pocket Pies
makes 8 individual pies

• Dough for a two crust pie (see recipe above)
• 4 c chopped apple, peeled if you like
• 1 tsp lemon juice (to maintain color)
• 1/2 c maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• few grates fresh nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 Tbs instant tapioca granules

• 2 Tbs maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, combine chopped apple, lemon juice, 1/2 c maple syrup, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and tapioca.  Stir well and set aside.

Lightly flour a work surface.  Working from the middle outward with a floured rolling pin, roll out each square of dough to form a 12 inch square.

Score into equal quarters with a knife.

Stir the apple mixture to incorporate all the juices pooled on the bottom of the bowl. Place 1/2 c apple pie filling in the middle of each square, leaving no less than 1/2 inch edge.

Fold over to form a triangle.  Gently, but firmly, press down on the edges to seal.  Crimp and trim away any excess.  If you make a hole, use some of the excess dough to mend the tear.

With a sharp knife, make three 1" slits in the top of the pie.  Continue the process with the rest of the dough and pie filling, making sure to stir the apple mixture each time.  

Place 4 pies on each of two ungreased 10x15" baking trays.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbs maple syrup and 1/8 tsp cinnamon.  With a pastry brush, lightly baste the pies.

Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes or until golden.  Remove to a cooling rack.

Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.