Apple Crumb Cheesecake Pie
PREP TIME: 35 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 40 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE (10 SLICES)
A few years ago I made and posted this apple cheesecake pie on the blog, and it was an instant favorite with our readers. After all, apple pie is the all-American dessert! Some people top apple pie with ice cream; I chose to combine it with a cheesecake. This time I gave this delicious pie a little bit of a twist by adding crumbs to the top of the apples before baking it. It was so good that I will be adding that buttery crumb topping every single time from now on. And, of course, drizzling homemade caramel topping on top is always a must! For a triple dose of amazingness, feel free to top it with some ice cream, too!
INGREDIENTS
Dough for 1 Piecrust
For the Cheesecake
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3 cups Apple Pie Filling
For the Crumb Topping
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup quick-cooking oats
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
¼ cup Caramel Topping, for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick baking spray.
2. Place the dough in the pie plate. Fold the edges of the dough under and crimp them. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. For the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat the mixture until smooth.
4. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat the batter.
5. Spread the cheesecake batter in the prepared pie crust. Gently spoon the apple pie filling on top of the cheesecake batter.
6. For the Crumb Topping: Mix together the crumb topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apple pie filling.
7. Bake the cheesecake pie for 40 minutes. Remove the pie plate from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the cheesecake pie cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours, or until completely chilled.
8. Serve the slices of cheesecake pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel topping, if desired.
Pecan Cheesecake Pie
PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 50 TO 55 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE (10 SLICES)
Pecans and cheesecake were meant to be together. My husband came up with the idea to bake cheesecake and pecan pie together a few years ago when we wanted something different after our Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe was an instant favorite with readers when we shared it on the blog. Amazing and magical things happen in the oven while this pie bakes. The gooey caramel layer sinks to the bottom while leaving the pecans to bake on top of the cheesecake. Every single time we make this cheesecake pie, it disappears within minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Dough for 1 Piecrust
For the Cheesecake
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1 large egg
For the Pecan Layer
2⁄3 cup dark corn syrup
2 large eggs
2⁄3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick baking spray.
2. Roll the dough out on a floured surface and place it in the pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp the dough. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. For the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and beat the mixture until smooth.
4. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat the batter. Spread the cheesecake over the bottom of the prepared pie crust.
5. For the Pecan Layer: Whisk together the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl. Stir in the pecans.
6. Spoon the pecan mixture over the cheesecake layer gently.
7. Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil. Bake the cheesecake pie for 50 to 55 minutes.
8. Remove the pie plate from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the pie cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours, or until completely chilled.
Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheesecake Tart
PREP TIME: 40 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 38 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES ONE 9-INCH TART (10 SLICES)
They say you eat with your eyes first. Over the years, I have realized that I love to bake desserts that have layers in them. There is something so satisfying about cutting into a pie or cake and seeing the different colors and textures. This cheesecake tart is one of those desserts that I cut into and then stood back to admire. The dark cookie crust, chocolate cheesecake, and coconut no-bake cheesecake layers were so pretty that I almost didn’t want to dig in. Yeah, right. You don’t believe that for a minute, do you?
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust
20 Oreo cookies
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the Chocolate Cheesecake
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1⁄3 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, melted
1 large egg
For the Coconut Cheesecake
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon coconut extract
½ teaspoon rum extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
For the Topping
½ cup Toasted Coconut
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. For the Crust: Place the cookies, cream filling included, in a food processor. Pulse the cookies until they become crumbs.
3. Stir together the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan.
4. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool. Keep the oven on.
5. Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the very bottom rack of the oven and fill it halfway with water.
6. For the Chocolate Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
7. Add the melted chocolate and beat until completely incorporated.
8. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat the batter. Spread the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust.
9. Place the pie plate on the oven rack right above the tray of water. Bake the cheesecake pie for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the pie plate from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the pie cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours, or until completely chilled.
11. For the Coconut Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and extracts and beat until smooth.
12. Stir the shredded coconut into the cheesecake mixture by hand. Gently fold in 2 cups of the Cool Whip with a rubber spatula. Spread the coconut cheesecake filling on top of the chilled chocolate cheesecake layer.
13. For the Topping: Sprinkle the toasted coconut all over the top of the cheesecake. Swirl the remaining Cool Whip around the edge of the tart using a piping bag and icing tip 27.
Mini Orange Cream Cheesecake Pies
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 15 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES 12 MINI TARTS
One fun drink that my husband likes to enjoy during the summer is a scoop of vanilla ice cream blended with orange
juice. Since I love combining two desserts into one sweet treat, I knew that I wanted to make a cheesecake pie that included the orange and vanilla flavor from this drink. The result was a cute little tart that my husband said were similar to those icy summer drinks.
INGREDIENTS
Dough for 1 Piecrust
For the Cheesecake:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 large egg
For the Topping
1 batch Whipped Cream
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface. Cut out as many 3-inch circles as you can. Reroll the dough to cut more circles until you have 12 circles. Press one circle into each cavity of a 12-cavity mini-tart pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. For the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and orange extract and beat until smooth.
4. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat the batter. Spoon the cheesecake evenly into the prepared pie crusts.
5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently remove them from the pan and place them on the wire rack.
7. Let the cheesecakes cool for 45 minutes, then refrigerate them for 2 hours, or until completely chilled.
8. For the Topping: Swirl the whipped cream on top of each cheesecake pie using a piping bag and 1M icing tip. Place one orange segment on top of each swirl.
Coconut Key Lime Cheesecake Pie
PREP TIME: 35 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 45 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES ONE 10-INCH PIE (12 SLICES)
I can’t help it. I’m crazy for coconut, and hopefully you are, too. One of my husband’s favorite pies is a key lime pie. So for this fun cheesecake, I added my beloved coconut to the cookie crust and filled it with a creamy key lime cheesecake. Oh my word! One bite of this tart cheesecake pie and you will be transported to a tropical place. Don’t like coconut? Go ahead and use a regular cookie or cracker crust instead.
INGREDIENTS
For the Crust
20 Golden Oreo cookies
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup key lime juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
For the Topping
1 cup Cool Whip, thawed
¼ cup Toasted Coconut
Key lime slices
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. For the Crust: Place the cookies, cream filling included, in a food processor. Pulse until the cookies become crumbs.
3. Mix together the cookie crumbs, shredded coconut, and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pie plate from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the crust cool. Keep the oven on.
4. Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the very bottom rack of the oven and fill it halfway with water.
5. For the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and sour cream and beat until smooth.
6. Add the lime juice and flour and beat until creamy.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure the eggs are fully incorporated, but do not overbeat. Spoon the cheesecake batter into the cooled crust.
8. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil to keep them from getting too brown while baking.
9. Place the pie plate on the oven rack right above the tray of water. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes.
10. Remove the pie plate from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours, or until completely chilled.
11. For the Topping: Swirl Cool Whip around the edge of the pie using a piping bag and 1M icing tip. Top each swirl with toasted coconut and a key lime slice.
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Breakfast Cheesecakes
CHEESECAKE FOR BREAKFAST? YES, PLEASE!
Does eating cheesecake for breakfast sound crazy? Or completely necessary and 100% okay? I think you know my answer to that question! I’m all for healthy eating most of the time, but special mornings call for a pastry or a Danish…all with cheesecake added in, of course. I like to think of it as satisfying my dairy requirement for the day. It makes me feel all healthy like that.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Tarts
PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 18 TO 20 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES 12 TARTS
Cheesecake is perfectly acceptable for breakfast when it looks like a pastry, right? These easy little tarts are topped with lemon cheesecake and fresh blueberries. That’s a double dose of fruit right there, in my opinion. And since cream cheese is dairy, you could even say this fits in the dairy category of the food pyramid. Just don’t consult a nutritionist, or my theory will be blown out of the water.
INGREDIENTS
2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
For the Cheesecake
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup lemon juice, fresh or concentrate
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries
For the Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or concentrate
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Spread the puff pastry out on a floured surface. Cut each sheet into 6 rectangles and place them on a large baking sheet.
3. Use a fork to poke holes all over the rectangles, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
4. For the Cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until smooth.
5. Add the lemon juice and flour and beat until creamy.
6. Spread the cheesecake evenly on the pastry rectangles, making sure not to go past the fork holes around the edge. Top each tart with fresh blueberries.
7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan and let the tarts cool on the pan for 15 minutes.
8. Remove the tarts and place them on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes more, then refrigerate them for 1 hour, or until completely chilled.
9. For the Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the tops of the chilled tarts.
Triple Berry Cheesecake Crepes
PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES 12 CREPES
A few years ago our family went out for breakfast at a fun restaurant in Chicago. There were so many delicious choices, like crepes and stuffed French toast, on the breakfast menu. After we came home, I decided to try making crepes in my own kitchen. Adding a fun cheesecake and fruit filling gave these breakfast crepes a fancy dessert twist. My husband said they looked just like the fancy breakfast from that restaurant.
INGREDIENTS
For the Crepes
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
½ cup milk
¼ cup water
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cheesecake Filling
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy cream
For Serving
1 batch Fruit Filling (us
e 2 cups fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
1 cup fresh berries
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the Crepes: Place the flour, granulated sugar, salt, eggs, milk, water, butter, and vanilla in a blender. Pulse a few times until the mixture is completely mixed together. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
2. Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Spray the skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Wipe out the excess spray with a paper towel. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the batter into the center of the pan. Pick up the pan and gently swirl the pan around until the batter stops moving. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, then flip the crepe over and cook for 30 seconds more.
3. As you finish the crepes, place them on a plate, separating them with wax paper to keep them from sticking together. Repeat until you have used all the batter. Let the crepes cool.
4. For the Cheesecake Filling: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the granulated sugar, vanilla, and cream and beat on high until light and fluffy.
5. Assembly: Place a spoonful of the cheesecake filling down the center of each crepe.
6. Top it with a spoonful of fruit filling and gently roll up the crepe.
7. Serve these with extra fruit filling and fresh berries on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES
BAKE TIME: 16 TO 18 MINUTES
SERVING: MAKES 20 MUFFINS
Okay, so technically these probably should be called cupcakes. I mean, they are chocolate, have a swirl of cheesecake in them, and are baked in a cupcake pan. But since I prefer to call it a muffin tin when I make breakfast treats, we are calling these muffins today. My daughter thinks that all muffins should include chocolate chips. She is so my daughter. She also thinks that all muffins should be warmed up in the microwave to get the chocolate chips all nice and gooey. She is one smart cookie…or should it be muffin? Either way, cheesecake-swirled chocolate muffins are the perfect treat for special breakfasts, or for a fun midweek snack. It’s your call.
Cheesecake Love Page 12