Cousin Johnnie's Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 22 crackers)
• 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar

Filling:

• 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 eggs

Topping:

• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 large) Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan tightly with foil to prevent moisture from the water bath from seeping into the cheesecake

Crust:

In a food processor, mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven to cool completely.

Filling:

In a food processor or with an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Add the sour cream,orange juice, and vanilla and blend until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending until just combined. *Cook's Note: It's important to blend well with no clumps as this will make the filling a smoother consistency when baked.

Pour the filling into the crust. Put a roasting pan on a rack in the center of the oven and transfer the cheesecake to the pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan and cover it loosely with foil. Bake until the center moves only slightly when the cake pan is shaken, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Check the water level about 1 hour into the baking, adding more water, if needed. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the cake pan to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate overnight.

Topping:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the apples and pecans and cook, stirring, until they are coated with butter, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to a boil, about 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples and pecans to a bowl. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the remaining liquid, stirring often, until it turns a deep amber, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat to stop the cooking and add the cream. Be careful, as the cream may splatter. Return the skillet to the heat and bring it to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the apples and pecans. Allow to cool until lukewarm.

Spread the caramel-apple mixture evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Use a knife dipped in hot water to cut through the cheesecake.

SOURCE

Cream Cheese

Paula Deen Savannah High Apple Pie

Ingredients

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups butter-flavored solid shortening (recommended: Crisco)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold water

For the Filling:

• 24 apples, preferably Golden Delicious or Granny Smith, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced*
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the streusel:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 recipe Caramel Pecan Topping, recipe follows

Directions

*The number of apples depends on the size of the pie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:

Cut flour into butter-flavored shortening. Add salt and stir in enough water to make stiff dough. Knead slightly together. Chill dough before using.

Use 1/3 of pie dough for bottom crust. Roll bottom crust. Lay in pie pan.

For the filling:

Combine apples, flour, sugar, and cinnamon and mix lightly with spatula

For the streusel:

In a small bowl combine together butter, brown sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Layer this mix every so often between apples.

Using stainless bowl, begin layering apples slice by slice, slightly overlapping starting at the outside circle of the bowl and working towards the center. Push firmly as the layers build. Round off top layer of apple slices when you reach the top. Put a single layer of sliced apples in the bottom crust.

Take the pie pan with the bottom crust in left hand and the stainless bowl of sliced apples in right hand and invert. Put finger tips under edge of bowl to release the air and gently lift off. Press and firm apples and straighten. Add slices of apple to take away sharp edges (so as not to puncture the pie dough). Add slices of apples to top of pie to round off.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter pats on top of pie.

Roll out top crust using remaining pie dough. Gently place top crust over the mound of apples. Smooth the sides of pie crust towards bottom of pie pulling out on extra crust. Pinch down to seal 2 layers together. Crimp pie for first time. Cut extra crust with the back of a sharp knife. Re-crimp the edges and push towards the pie.

Brush with milk and sprinkle sugar rubbing your left hand from the bottom up to evenly spread your sugar.

Put 5 steam vents with a small knife towards the upper part of the pie. Do not vent at the top as it will cause the pie to split open as it bakes.

Bake between 350 to 375 degrees F for 1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Let cool for at least 1 hour.

Spread warm Caramel Pecan Topping on top of crust beginning at the base of the pie above the fluting and working towards the top.

Serving suggestions:

Drizzle caramel pecan topping with semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.

Cook's Note: To add candied pecans to pie recipe, use 2 cups of candied pecans, 1 cup towards the bottom, 1/2 cup towards the middle, and 1/4 cup towards the top.

Caramel Pecan Topping:

• 2 (12-ounce) cups melted caramel
• 3 tablespoons evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces

Melt caramels completely in microwave. Add evaporated milk and stir until smooth consistency. Add chopped pecans and stir. Spread over pie starting at base and working in.

Yield: topping for 1 pie

SOURCE

Bobby’s Caramel Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1-cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1-cup milk
1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling:
1-cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4-cup milk
1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1/2-cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3-cup heavy cream, or more if needed
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Using electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

For the filling:

While cake is baking, in a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pans as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Pierce cake layer with a toothpick over entire surface. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again.

* Cook’s Note: As I stack layers together, I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting.

For the frosting:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer until it reaches a spreading consistency. At this time it may be necessary to add a tablespoon of heavy cream, or more, if frosting gets too thick. Just be sure to add cream is small amounts because you can always “add to”, but you can’t take away. Frost cake and sprinkle top with chopped nuts, if desired.

Servings:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Difficulty: Moderate

SOURCE:  Bobby's Caramel Cake




NOTES:  I haven't tried this out yet, but I'm considering this for Father's Day!  Hmmm...  I also stumbled upon the low fat version - might go for this to watch Daddy's sugar level - Bobby's Lighter Caramel Cake.

Caramel