OMG we’ve definitely been catching the rain bug here in southeast Michigan. It has been raining all day today, and pretty much all of my off days the past couple of weeks. Now I’m not complaining necessarily because I don’t mind the rain. In fact, I would take rain everyday if I never had to see snow again. I know it sounds strange–considering where I live–but I have a slight fear of driving in the snow. I probably need to move to like Cali, but then I’m terrified of earthquakes. Anyways, it’s my off day and I can’t really take my little Ava anywhere since it has been down pouring all morning. Despite I did managed to sneak out the house, leaving her with her dad, and stop at the grocery store for some goodies. I’ve been wanting pretzel jello salad for the longest, but as I walked past the cream cheese immediately the cheesecake gods took hold. So per the title, which we will get into in just a moment.
Not to take away from the pretzel jello salad by any means. My first time having it was by my sweet and awesome friend Sarah, who I work with at the hospital. She originally made it for a work potluck and I’ve been hooked ever since! At my job we have different day shift weekends and my weekend rarely does potlucks that often. To help spice things up I at times bring in something I’ve made or stop by and pick up donuts before work. On the contrary, the opposite weekend is the potluck weekend. They have potlucks more frequently; haha you would think I’d be on that weekend with all my cooking. That said, I love my weekend crew, they are totally awesome even though we don’t potluck often…Hey ladies!!
So with the plan to make some today, I went into the store and totally came out with a whole new dessert idea. I love apple brownies but not so blondies. I think apple brownies resemble the blondies, or are they interchangeable?. Apple brownies theoretically are not brownies in that they do not contain chocolate, which if you ask me is the essential ingredient to brownies. To me, the difference I believe is more in its shape. This apple brownie recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe. This cheesecake has several layers, which includes the crispness of the cookie bottom (no graham crackers here) combined with delicious moist apple brownies. I love anything with apples, especially Granny Smith because of it’s tartness always make you feel like you are in the middle of a cool fall day–after all, fall is when apple picking is at its best. Then you have the layer of cheesecake. Although cheesecake contains a whole ton lot of calories this is one of those times where it definitely worth all of those suckers that you will later have to burn off haha. My favorite type of cheesecake has always been strawberry, and as I type this I vividly remember that one day when I was pregnant and dying for a piece of strawberry cheesecake. I never told Michael but while at work I put it up on my personal IG page about how badly I wanted one. To my luck my friend Lashone who was off that day, saw my post and showed up with a slice of cheesecake #myfriendsarebetterthanyours LOL. Moral of the story, when a pregnant woman ask the universe for something she can usually get it (haha).
Finally, sweet salted caramel with diced caramelized apples is truly a dessert heaven…so many yummy things in one. Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth for some type of food. I don’t drink pop (or soda depending on where you live) or eat fast food, barely drink alcohol, but give me a good meal and a good dessert on a rainy day and I’m golden. I will admit that this recipe isn’t the easiest because of the separate layers, but if you are up for the challenge you should definitely try it. After all what have you got to lose? Practice make perfect as they always say, and the end result is so worth it.
Enjoy!
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- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown saugar
- 7 tbsp softened butter
- 1.5 tsp molasses
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 5 tbsp slightly melted unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp Coconut milk or milk of choice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 whole grannie smith apples chopped
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 8oz packet of regular cream cheese
- 1 8oz packet of neufchatel cream cheese
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup whipped cream
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 3/4 cup Light brown
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2.5 tbsp heavy whipping cream or regular whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 apples granny smith (cubed)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Ingredients
For the crust
For apple brownie
whipped cream
cheese cake filling
caramel sauce
caramelized apples
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- In a mixing bowel mix or food processor combine flour, sugar, and butter and mix until well incorporated. Next add molasses, mix until crumbly.
- Preheat oven to 350. Now line the bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper, cut into round shape like the bottom of pan. Then dump flour mixture in pan and press down into bottom. Place in pre warmed oven and bake for 10 min. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare batter.
- In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment add 5 tbsp of slightly melted butter, and sugar, mix until creamy. Next add egg, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, mix well.
- Combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt in a bowl and mix together. Add to wet mixture and whisk, at this point batter will be clumpy, add 3 tbsp of coconut milk, continue to mix until smooth. Fold apples into batter.
- Spread on top of flour crust. Bake for 50-55 in an oven pre heated at 350.
- In a small sauce pan add butter, cook on medium to low heat until melted, then mix water and sugar add to butter, add salt, vanilla, corn syrup and heavy cream, let come to a boil. Simmer for 10 min. Stir slightly one when it is boiling. Remove from heat and let cool. Poor in an airtight container until ready to use. Tip: do not scrap sides of sauce as it will cause sugar to crystalize.
- To make filling soften regular cream cheese, the neufchatel should be soft enough already, place in a mixing bowl, food processor or blender. Add powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Once smooth fold in 3/4 cup of whipped cream and lemon zest. Tip: Do not mix in, just fold.
- Spread cream cheese filling over the top of apple brownie, smooth top. Cover and refridgerate for about 1 hr.
- After 1 hr remove cheesecake from fridge and drizzle 1/4 cup caramel sauce over top of cheesecake. Using a toothpick and starting from outer edge of cake make lines through cheesecake filling and caramel, until it looks like picture. Thats the best way to describe it. . You will be adding caramelized apples while cheesecake is in the fridge. Tip: It doesnt have to be exactly like the picture.
- In a small skillet melt butter on medium to low heat, toss in apples and sugar, make sure to stir occasionally fro 8-10 min. Remove from heat and cool.
- Top cheesecake with caramelized apples and drizzle with carmel sauce.
- Cover top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hrs. Remove from fridge, slice and enjoy. Let me know how it turned out. Thank you. This African
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