Mini Caramel Apple Cheesecakes with Streusel Topping

I can't believe it's December already! I probably say this every year but where has the year gone? This year seems to have flown by in a flash. I'm sure there's a lot of festive cooking and baking going on worldwide but I'm still in autumn mode with apples. I saw this on pinterest and thought what a great idea. I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to bake these and made them to take to a dinner party. We were really full from all the food but still managed to enjoy one or two of these. It's a good idea baking them in muffin cases as it's a nice individual portion, looks cute and is easy to transport. I also took some to work as did J and both our work colleagues enjoyed them. It's a baked cheesecake filled with fresh apples, streusel topping and a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce. These are great for the upcoming festive season as you can bake them in advance and they are sure to be a hit at any party. 

I'm sending this to Simply Eggcellent hosted by Dom from Belleau Kitchen as the theme this month is anything goes. This recipe contains 3 large free range eggs. 

It's also going to Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily from A Mummy Too.

 streusel topping 

 digestive biscuit base

 add cheesecake mixture 

 then chopped apples

 top with streusel topping 

 generous drizzle of caramel sauce before serving

  

Recipe adapted slightly from cookingclassy.com

Makes 18 mini cheesecakes

For the base
16 digestive biscuits
2.5 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
85g butter,melted

For the filling 
340g cream cheese
225g caster sugar
3 large free range eggs
3/4 cup creme fraiche
3 or 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into tiny pieces (if the chunks are too big, the apples won't cook fully)
3 tablespoons lemon juice

For the streusel topping
80g plain flour
40g oats
75g brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
57g butter

• First prepare the streusel topping by mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl using your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 
• Cover and chill in the fridge. 
• Preheat the oven to 165C. 
• Prepare the crust by blitzing the digestive biscuits in a food processor or bashing them with a rolling pin in a ziplock bag. 
• Add the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon and stir until mixed. 
• Line 2 muffin tins with 18 cupcake/muffin liners. 
• Divide the mixture evenly between 18 cases and press down gently.
• Bake in the pre heated oven for approximately 5 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Make the filling by beating the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. 
• Add the eggs one at a time followed by the creme fraiche and mix well.
• Pour the filling (use a measuring jug with a pouring spout) on top of the baked cheesecake crust until about 2/3 full.
• Peel, core and finely chop the apples then toss in fresh lemon juice.
• Place a generous spoonful of apples on top of each cheesecake. 
• Top with the streusel topping. 
• Bake in the pre heated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. 
• Allow to cool completely then chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. 
• Just before serving, pour a generous amount of caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake. I used ready made caramel sauce but you can also make your own. 

Chocolate and caramel cake

I very rarely use cake mixes but after this experience I have to say they definitely have their place. I have to admit that I was initially quite sceptical and was worried that the cake would be dry or too sweet or not sweet enough. I was given this box of Thornton's Chocolate Cake mix by someone at work so I decided to give it a go. It was really simple to put together and I added my own filling and decoration to jazz up the cake.

To my surprise the cake was extremely moist and chocolatey. I added a layer of canned caramel filling in between and made a simple chocolate ganache for the topping. I then added grated chocolate and giant chocolate stars. The final result was very impressive and one comment was that it looked and tasted better than the store bought Thornton's cake! Everyone thought I'd baked the cake from scratch and were really impressed with the taste and texture. I'd definitely use this cake mix again especially if I need to bake a cake quickly. It would also be perfect for bake sales and with a little imaginative decorating, everyone will think you spent ages baking the cake!

milk, vegetable oil, cake mix (white packet), chocolate pieces (came with the cake mix) and eggs 

 mix all the ingredients together 

 add in the melted chocolate 

 add a layer of caramel in the middle 

 decorate with chocolate ganache topping, grated chocolate and chocolate stars

SRC: Caramel Apple Shortbread Bars

It's the 4th Monday of the month which can only mean one thing.... It's Secret Recipe Club Group D Reveal day! I love the Secret Recipe Club and look forward to reveal day every month. I had a break last month so it's really good to be back. Just in case you need a reminder about what it's all about - each blog is assigned another blog in secret and the idea is that you choose a recipe to make from your secret blog and reveal it on the same day. It's a great way to discover new blogs and exciting recipes. 

This month my assigned blog is Mom's Test Kitchen writted by Jaime. She describes herself as "a child of God {who requires ALOT of forgiveness}, wife to an automotive genius, momma to a Princess that changed my life, daughter to some pretty alright parents, sister to my best friend & aunt to three kiddos that have me wrapped around their fingers!" You can read more about her and how she got to cooking and blogging here.  She has a lot of great recipes on her blog each accompanied by a beautiful photo. 

I had trouble choosing a recipe as there were so many I wanted to make. I shortlisted a few recipes including No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies, Blueberry Lemon Crumb Bars and Hot Cocoa Cookies. However, my eye was drawn to this Caramel Apple Shortbread Bars. There's a few steps involved in baking this but it's well worth it. It's absolutely delicious and a perfect autumnal bake. I loved the crispy bit at the edges even though it was a little burnt! I would probably add more apples next time as mine cooked down to not very much and my apples were really small. I love the buttery, crumbly shortbread and the caramel apple filling is divine. I might also add in some spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg as I do love spice in my baking!

 making the base 

 cooking the filling

 spread filling over the base

 add crumble mixture on top 

 burnt round the edges but delicious none the less

 you will notice that there are 2 pieces missing as we couldn't wait to try them! 

For the shortbread layer and crumble topping 

225g butter

112g caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

312g plain flour (divided into 280g & 31g)

For the caramel apple filling 

57g butter

1 tablespoon honey

50g dark brown sugar

1 can (14oz) condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 small apples (Large apples would be better) - peeled, cored and diced 

• Grease an 8inch x 8 inch pan and line with foil allowing for some overhang (for easy removal later). Spray liberally with non stick spray.
• Beat buttter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy
• Add in 280g flour. 
• Transfer 1/2 of the dough to the prepared baking tray and press down firmly to form the base.
• Place in the fridge.
• Add 31g flour to the remaining dough and mix with your hands until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. This is for the crumble topping later.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter, honey, sugar, condensed milk and vanilla and bring to a boil, whisking occasionallu.
• Add in the diced apples and whisk frequently until the mixture thickens and darkens in colour (approximately 10 minutes).
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 
• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Remove base from the fridge and pour the caramel apple filling on top.
• Sprinkle crumble topping and bake for approximately 1 hour.

An InLinkz Link-up

Pear and Walnut Cake

I made this cake for this month's AlphaBakes which is the letter 'P'. I saw this gorgeous recipe online for a Caramel pear and walnut cake and knew I had to try it. Unfortunately, I burnt my walnuts slightly but the cake still tasted good. You can really taste the pears in this cake as there is mashed pear as well as chunks of pear in the cake.  I've never mashed pears before and it was tricky as my pear was quite firm but it really added to the flavour and texture of the cake. I'm definitely going to try using mashed fruits in baking in the future. The caramel walnut topping was divine and complemented the pear cake very well. 

As mentioned, I am entering this to AlphaBakes hosted this month by Caroline from Caroline Makes and co-hosted by myself on alternate months. The letter is P for pear. 

 adding mashed pears 

 stir in the flour 

 adding chopped peaars 

 ready to bake 

 making the caramel 

 you can still see the chunks of pear in the cake 

Recipe adapted slightly from The Daring Gourmet

For the cake

125g flour

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon baking power

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 

120g light brown sugar

2 eggs

70g butter, melted

2 medium sized conference pears, mashed

2 medium sized conference pears, chopped 

For the Caramel Walnut Topping

100g walnuts
50g brown sugar
50g butter
60mls double cream

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Prepare the walnuts first by placing on to a baking tray and lightly toasting for 7 -8 minutes - be careful not to burn them!
• Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and ground spices in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, eggs, butter and mashed pear. Mix well. 
• Sift the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix well.
• Add in the chopped pears.
• Pour the batter into a lined 23cm round springform tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• When the cake has been in the oven for 15 minutes, start making the topping by placing the sugar, butter and cream in a small saucepan.
• Bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes.
• Stir in the toasted, chopped walnuts and continue to boil for a few more minutes. 
• Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and prick the top of the cake with a fork all over. 
• Pour the caramel walnut topping over the cake.
• Eat the cake warm or at room temperature. 

Apple and Pear Upside Down Custard Crumble Cake

Recently I was contacted by Sainsbury's to participate in their 'apple and pear challenge'. I was sent an Orchard Assortment box which contains 4 English apples and 2 English pears.  I brainstormed some ideas and as I couldn't decide what to make, I decided to combine a few favourite desserts - fruit crumble, upside down cake and custard! I made some caramel then layered the apples and pears on top. This was followed by a layer of custard, a layer of sponge mixed with chopped apples and pears and finally a crumble layer. At the last minute, I also decided to add some flaked almonds just to give it extra crunch and texture. The cake is served upside down and it tasted absolutely divine! The sponge was really light and the caramelised fruit and custard really complemented the cake well. The crumble and toasted flaked almonds made a really good crunchy base.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the cake and there wasn't a crumb left at the end of the day! 

The varieties included in the Sainsbury's Orchard Assortment Box are
Rubens - red in colour, this apple has a crisp, refreshing and sparkling flavour coupled with a sweet hint of melon
Jazz - A colourful apple with flashes of red, green and yellow, its flavour is characterised as sweet and aromatic with undertones of pear
Kanzi - Scarlet red in colour with a pale green background, this crunchy and juicy apple has a deliciously complex sweet taste
Cameo - This new variety is dark red in colour offset with orange flushes. Sweet, juicy and crunchy, topped off with a blend of honey and citrus flavours.
Sweet sensation - Vibrant red blush over a green-yellow background, this pear variety is deliciously sweet to taste and melts in the mouth when ripe
Concorde - A cross between Conference and Cornice pears, the Concorde is a green, slightly russetted pear with a rich, sweet flavour.

For this recipe, I decided to use the Jazz and Cameo apples and the Sweet Sensation pear as I felt the flavours would complement each other. 

 making the caramel for the apples and pears 

 cooking the custard 

 lovely caramel 

 adding chopped fruit to the batter 

 layer fruit on top of the caramel layer 

 add custard 

 add sponge 

 add crumble and flaked almonds (see instructions - I'd recommend adding the almonds at a later stage) 

 fresh from the oven 

  I love how you can still see the pears 

 You can clearly see the caramel fruit later, custard layer and sponge. The crumble layer is definitely there but you can't see it very well here. 

An original recipe by bakingaddict

For the caramel
200g caster sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 apples and 1 pear - peeled and sliced

For the cake
220g butter
220g caster sugar
220g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
chopped apples and pears (I chopped up the fruit leftover after layering the cake base as shown)

For the custard
570ml/1 pint milk
60ml single cream
1 vanilla pod
4 egg yolks
35g caster sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour

For the crumble
100g plain flour
50g ground almonds
125g butter
35g demerara sugar
35g caster sugar
60g rolled oats

100g flaked almonds (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Make the caramel by placing 200g caster sugar and 3 tablespoons of water into a pan over medium-high heat. 
• Watch carefully until it is amber in colour - do not stir the mixture at any point. Take it off the heat and carefully pour it into a lined baking tin. 
• Arrange the apple and pear slices as shown. 
• Make the custard by heating the milk, cream and vanilla pod on a low heat to simmering point. 
• Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a separate bowl. 
• Pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture and continue whisking constantly. 
• Rinse out the pan.
• Return the mixture to the pan and heat gently until the custard thickens. You will need to stir frequently. 
• Make the cake mixture by creaming butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at at a time and mix well.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract.
• Finally add in the chopped fruit.
• To make the crumble, place all ingredients except for the oats in a food processor and blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add in the oats and pulse gently. 
• To assemble the cake, add a layer of custard to the caramel fruit and smooth with a palette knife.
• Add in the sponge mixture and level with a palette knife.
• Place the crumble on top.
• Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Take the cake out of the oven and sprinkle flaked almonds all over the top and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or until the almonds are toasted and brown. [I added the almonds before baking but it browned quickly so I had to cover the cake with foil after about 20 minutes - I would definitely recommend adding the almonds at the end] 
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before turning it upside down on a serving tray to serve. 

Disclaimer: I was sent an Orchard Assortment Box from Sainsbury's for review purposes and a Sainsbury's gift card to cover the cost of the ingredients. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.