Tag: DESSERTS

MOCHA RUM TRUFFLES ~ BLOG 366.142

MOCHA RUM TRUFFLES (makes 5 dozen 1 inch candies)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (see notes)
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons rum (see notes)
2 teaspoons QUALITY instant coffee
Powdered sugar for rolling
optional FINELY chopped nuts, dehydrated fruits or coconut

  • In a double boiler melt chocolate until smooth.
  • Remove from heat, but keep chocolate bowl over the hot water.
  • Add butter and egg yolks, beating with whisk until smooth.
  • Add coconut and/or nuts if using.
  • In a separate bowl whisk together the rum and instant coffee.
  • Add chocolate mixture to rum mixture, stirring until smooth.
  • Add to an ice bath and chill 20-25 minutes until fudge like in consistency (it will be quite thick), but yet smooth and creamy.
  • At this point you can either roll it into balls and then roll the balls in the powdered sugar OR you can fill a decorative tipped piping bag with the fudge and pipe into decorative rosettes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  • Let candies stand an hour before serving.

NOTES:

  • Using all semi-sweet chips makes a deep and rich truffle. If you’d like something a bit lighter try using milk chocolate chips or a half and half combination of chips.
  • You can change up the flavor with flavored rums. I like using Malibu which gives you a nice hint of coconut. You can also add some FINELY chopped coconut in the chocolate mixture for some added texture.

BLUEBERRY LEMON CHEESECAKE CAKE

I was originally saving this recipe for Easter, but then we had a good friend who had a birthday.  Can I just say he is very hard to buy for?  His wife suggested I just bake him something and this recipe immediately came to mind.  I sent the big cake to him to share with Heather and the munchkins, but I did have to make 2 small ones for hubby and I also. SHHH don’t tell 😀

BLUEBERRY LEMON CHEESECAKE CAKE adapted from Cafe Delites

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Lightly grease an 8-inch round springform pan with cooking oil spray and set aside.

BLUEBERRY CAKE
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (juice from 1 LARGE lemon)
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 LARGE eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of 1 LARGE lemon)
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 ounces FRESH** blueberries (I like SMALL wild blueberries)

  • Whisk lemon juice with the milk and set aside to sour creating your “buttermilk”.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
  • Beat in the eggs and zest until light and creamy.
  • Beat in the lemon juice and milk mixture.
  • Add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing them first on top of the wet ingredients, before folding them in to combine the batter.
  • GENTLY Fold in 3/4’s of the blueberries.

CHEESECAKE
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 LARGE egg
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

  • Beat the cheesecake ingredients together until smooth and lump free, about one minute on low speed.

ASSEMBLY

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Evenly pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan.
  • Pour 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over blueberry cake layer (DO NOT SWIRL).
  • Pour the remaining cake batter over the cream cheese; then pour the remaining cream cheese mixture over the top to evenly cover the cake.
  • Sprinkle remaining blueberries over the top.
  • Bake in preheated oven 65 – 70 minutes, until the center is just set (it will have a very slight wobble to it). If you find it is browning after 30 minutes, tent with foil being careful the foil does not stick to the cheesecake.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for an hour or so.
  • Once cake has chilled, remove from pan onto a serving dish.
  • Pour the glaze evenly over the top and allow to drizzle down the sides of the cake.
  • Cover and refrigerate for AT LEAST 6 hours or over night BEFORE serving.

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup natural powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons water as necessary for a thinner consistency

  • Beat all glaze ingredients together until smooth.

FINAL ASSEMBLY

  • Prepare glaze.
  • Once cake has chilled, remove from pan onto a serving dish.
  • Pour the glaze evenly over the top and allow to drizzle down the sides of the cake.
  • Add a few fresh blueberries for garnish.
  • Cover and refrigerate for AT LEAST 6 hours or over night BEFORE serving.

NOTES: Frozen blueberries can be used, but MUST be completely thawed and drained WELL.

 

SALTED CARAMEL SNICKERDOODLES

I’ve been weighing ingredients more lately. I guess I’ve been watching too many baking shows that refer to it all being a science – Justin Warner, Damaris Phillips and Christina Tosi! But, I am much happier with most recipes since I’ve begun doing that.
SALTED CARAMEL SNICKERDOODLES adapted from Erin Clarkson

SALTED CARAMEL
2 cups (400 grams) fine granualted sugar
2 teaspoons (6 grams) Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

  • Line a half sheet pan with a silicone mat or lightly grease with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium sauce pan heat sugar over medium heat, stirring regularly until sugar dissolves. The sugar will clump – don’t worry, it is supposed to!  Keep stirring until sugar completely dissolves and turns amber. Continue stirring until completely smooth.  As soon as it begins to smoke, remove from heat and pour into prepared pan.
  • IMMEDIATELY sprinkle with the sea salt
  • COOL COMPLETELY!
  • When completely cool, break apart into large chunks.

COOKIES
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 grams) fine granulated sugar
3/4 cup (150 grams) salted caramel dust (see below)
1/4 cup (55 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 LARGE egg (50 grams)
1 teaspoon (4 grams) PURE vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups (350 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) sea salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) QUALITY ground cinnamon

  • Weigh out 200 grams of the salted caramel chunks.
  • Place in a ziploc bag and break with a rolling pin until you have small semi-uniform size pieces. Set aside.
  • Place remaining salted caramel chunks into food processor and pulse until you have a finely ground dust. Measure out 150 grams (3/4 cup) of the dust and set aside. Add any remaining dust to your Rolling Sugar Bowl.
  • In a stand mixer combine butter sugar, caramel dust and brown sugar at high speed until creamy.
  • Add egg and vanilla beating until combined.
  • Sift together the flour baking soda and sea salt.
  • Reduce mixer speed and add flour mixture gradually beating JUST until combined.
  • Stir in the caramel chunk pieces until evenly distributed.

ROLLING SUGAR
1/4 cup (50 grams) fine granulated sugar
2 teaspoons (2 grams) pumpkin pie spice
Leftover Caramel Dust

  • In a small bowl combine the sugar, pumpkin pie spice and leftover caramel dust until well blended.
  • Roll dough into ping pong sized balls.
  • Roll each ball in the sugar mixture before placing on baking tray 2 inches apart.
  • Place tray of cookies in freezer 10 minutes before baking.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes until golden and puffy.
  • IMMEDIATELY sprinkle with sea salt.
  • COOL COMPLETELY on pan before transferring to cooling rack.
  • Store in an airtight container to prevent cookies from becoming sticky and stuck together.

NOTES:

  • If you are going to freeze dough, roll into balls first and freeze solid on a sheet pan before placing them in a freezer bag.
  • Make sure to have everything in place and ready before beginning the salted caramel. This process happens quickly and cannot be slowed down. It will burn easily.

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE NUT BARS

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE NUT BARS – the ultimate cookie bar for those that LOVE both sweet and salty mixed together! adapted (but not by much!) from Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 16 cookie bars                Prep:15 minutes
Cook:30 minutes                      Total:45 minutes

2 1/8 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips**
1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits
10 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk
Fleur de sel (Sea salt), for sprinkling over caramel and bars

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Grease a 12×5 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until combined.
  • Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips, toffee bits and walnuts.
  • In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream.
  • Microwave on high until the caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes.
  • Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  • Pour the hot caramel over the dough cookie dough and spread into an even layer, leaving about ½ inch around the border.
  • Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt.
  • Drop the remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the caramel and gently spread the dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered.
  • Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan.
  • Place the pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the caramel layer to set.
  • Cut into squares and serve.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

NOTE: ** I like to use  mixture of peanut butter and milk chocolate chips.

DAY 17 ~ BLOGMAS 2017 ~ FAVORITE FAMILY RECIPES

I’ve been looking forward to this day! I have many many recipes, but these are the closest to my heart. Grab a cup of my SIL’s homemade hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows and join me while we chat.

There are 3 recipes that come to mind here.  The first is my OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING, a recreation of my dad’s cornbread dressing. Several years ago my brother asked me to try and reproduce the recipe as a scratch recipe and VOILA’, I did it! This wasn’t easy since daddy started with a box of Mrs. Cubbinson’s cornbread dressing cubes and then started winging it from there.


OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING
10 slices Brownberry or Oroweat OATNUT bread, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 loaf sourdough French bread, cut into bite size chunks
1 large sweet onion, chopped fine
1 small bunch celery (leaves and all), chopped fine
1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped fine
1 box mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken base
2 tablespoons Buttery Herb & Garlic Mix (I believe McCormick makes it)
4 teaspoons minced garlic, Jar

  • Cut bread into bite sized chunks and spread out in a thin layer over cookie sheets.
  • Bake at 200 degrees for 3-4 hours until pieces are actually hard.
  • Chop all the vegetables.
  • In a large cast iron pan melt 1/4 cup of the butter.
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent. The add the celery and carrots and continue sauteing until crisp tender. Add the garlic last as it will burn first.
  • Whisk together the water, better than bouillon chicken base and all of the seasonings.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • In a large pan toss the bread slices together.
  • Add the sauteed vegetables and toss again.
  • Add the liquid mixture and toss again until well absorbed.
  • Fold entire mixture into at least a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 1 hour.
  • At this point I use a small portion for our dinner that night and freeze the rest.
  • When it’s time to cook it again, I defrost it, put it back in the same baking dish and bake it again, but this time covered with foil until the last 15 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. We like it crisp on top so I remove the foil the last 15 minutes.

The second is crazy aunt Lousie’s Corn Flake Wreaths.

My great aunt who I only got to see a couple times a year used to make these every year special for me.  My cousins and I would wait out on the front steps for her arrive just to see them, the wreaths that is. She always made them soooooooooo pretty and perfect!  Aunt Louise was just plain crazy it seemed to me.  I can’t pinpoint any one thing that made me think that, but as the years wore she continually proved it.  Let’s just say if the made a movie of her life, Shirley MacLaine would play her part.  Aunt Louise reminds me of Shirley’s character Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias.

HOLIDAY WREATHS
(these are better when they are made a few days ahead)
30 large marshmallows (or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon green food color
3 1/2 cups cornflakes
Red Hots

  • Combine marshmallows, butter, vanilla and food color in top of double boiler. Heat and stir frequently until well blended.
  • Gradually stir in cornflakes until well blended.
  • Drop onto wax paper and arrange into wreath shapes. I plop them onto the wax paper and then push out from the center to form the wreaths.
  • Decorate with red hots.
  • Let cool.
  • If your house is warm – chill in refrigerator until set.

The third is a fairly recent one for my Marinated Prime Rib.

MARINATED and SEASONED PRIME RIB
5 pound boneless beef rib roast
3/4 cup Mad Housewife Merlot wine
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Avocado oil
*2 tablespoons  Savory Spice Shop Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend
*2 tablespoons  Penzey’s English Prime Rib Rub 
*1 teaspoon  Penzey’s OR Savory Spice Shop’s Horseradish powder

  • Whisk together the wine, water and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Place roast in a large plastic bag that has been placed in a shallow baking dish.
  • Pour marinade over roast and seal bag.
  • Marinate 6-8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Place sliced onions in bottom of roaster.
  • Drain roast and discard marinade.
  • Rub roast generously with the avocado oil. Let roast sit on drainboard a moment to allow excess oil to drain off.  At this point wash your hands to remove the excess oil also so the rub will go on better.
  • Stir together the Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend, English Prime Rib Rub and the horseradish powder until well mixed.
  • Sprinkle rub mixture over roast until well coated all the way around.
  • Place roast, fat side up on onion slices.
  • Insert oven thermometer.
  • Roast until desired doneness (we like medium rare which was 135 degrees and about 2 1/4 hours), but no more!
  • Transfer roast to cutting board and immediately tent with foil for 20 minutes before carving. This is the resting phase and mandatory to the perfect prime rib. During this phase your roast will raise another 10 degrees.

*If you want a thicker rub add more spices making sure to keep these proportions.

DO NOT SKIP THE RESTING PHASE!!
This is for one of my go to neighbor plate recipes:

CARAMEL BUTTERSCOTCH FUDGE
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup Kraft caramel bits
1 can Eagle-Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Fisher’s Cinnamon Pecans

  • Line a 9×9 pan with heavy duty foil leaving enough foil overhanging the edges to use as handle to lift the foil out of the pan after the fudge has set.
  • Using a double boiler over medium heat melt the chips, caramel bits and condensed milk together until smooth.
  • Immediately pour into the foil lined pan.
  • Top with pecans using a piece of wax paper to press the pecans slightly into the fudge.

This is Cinnamon Roll day too – YUMMY! One of my favorite days of the year.  The recipe originally came from one of my favorite aunts who taught me a lot about art, cooking and just plain being creative.  I have made a few minor updates to suit our tastes, but this recipe was ALL her and a secret that my cousin and I kept until the day she died.

ROLLS OF SHARON aka CINNAMON RAISIN BUNS
ROLLS
2 packages Fleischman’s Rapid Rise Yeast
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup WARM water
1 cup scalded milk (2 minutes in the microwave)
1/2 cup Crisco stick
5 cups flour, divided
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt

  • In a small bowl combine the warm water, 2 teaspoons of sugar and both packages of yeast until well blended. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, Crisco stick, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Blend well.
  • Add yeast mixture and blend well.
  • Add the well beaten eggs and half the flour. Mix until well blended.
  • Add the remaining flour (a little more if too sticky) and mix well until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is elastic.
  • With vegetable oil, wipe the inside of another bowl.
  • Place dough in bowl and turn once.
  • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
  • Let rest in a warm place until double in size.
  • Punch down and divide into 2 balls.
  • Put one on the pastry board and one back in the bowl.
  • Let rest 10 minutes.
  • While resting prepare the filling ingredients.
  • Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness in a rectangle about 18×24 inches.
  • Spread half the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar.
  • Spread half the raisins over that.
  • Roll tightly jelly roll style and cut into 18 rolls.
  • Place rolls in greased pans 1/4 to 1/2 inches apart.
  • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
  • Let rise again until double in size.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • While baking prepare the icing.
  • When rolls come out the oven, put globs of icing on each one. Return to the oven for a minute or two to melt icing all over the rolls.

FILLING
1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
1 cup golden raisins

  • Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until well blended.

ICING
1 stick butter, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered vanilla
4-6 tablespoons milk

  • Mix all together until smooth.

When re-heating rolls, put a pad of butter on top of roll before microwaving.
These freeze really well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now there is much debate over Gran’s cranberry salad recipe, but one thing was for sure, she’d have to make a double batch, one for my mom and aunt and another for everyone else.  Now while I usually helped prepare the above recipe, I hated it!! One year she even decided the grapes needed to be peeled – need I say more?

I much prefer the recipe below.  Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, but I have been known to eat a whole batch by myself.  In my defense it was while I wasn’t feeling good and had a sore throat.

HOLIDAY SALAD
1 package (3 ounces) cherry Jell-o
1 package (3 ounces) black cherry Jell-o
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 can (14 ounces) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups seedless green grapes, quartered
chopped pecans (optional)

  • Dissolve the jell-o in the boiling water in a large bowl.
  • Fold in the pineapple and cranberry sauce.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Fold in grapes and pecans if desired.
  • Refrigerate until firm.

Now on to the REALLY yummy stuff!

CHUNKY MONKEYS
3 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup sugar
scant 1 cup butter, melted

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Line a 13×9 cake pan with heavy duty foil, leaving plenty on the edges to use as handles later.  This will make clean-up so much easier.
  • In a medium mixing bowl stir together the pretzels, sugar and melted butter until well blended.
  • Press the pretzel mixture evenly into the bottom of the cake pan.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
11 ounce package caramel baking bits (or 14 ounce vanilla caramels, unwrapped)
2 cups honey roasted peanuts

  • In a medium saucepan melt butter over a medium heat.
  • Whisk in the whipping cream and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.
  • Stir in caramel bits, stirring constantly until bits are melted and sauce is smooth.
  • Add in peanuts to coat well.
  • Immediately pour over pretzel layer, spreading evenly.

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup Heath milk chocolate toffee bits

  • Scatter each of these over the caramel layer.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are bubbling.
  • Cool in pan on a wire rack.
  • Lift foil edges to remove bars from pan.
  • Cut into bars.
  • Layer between wax paper in an airtight container.  I store them in the fridge, but the can also be frozen for 3 months.

BUTTERFINGER COOKIES
Ritz crackers
creamy peanut butter
almond bark
sprinkles

  • Spread peanut butter on ritz crackers and top with another cracker.
  • Melt almond bark in the microwave.
  • Dip each cookie in the almond bark and set onto wax paper to harden.
  • If you’re using sprinkles do so before the almond bark hardens.

A few more favorites are:

  • Oreo Cheesecake Balls
  • Magic Marshmallow puffs
  • Peanut Butter Fudge Drops
  • Sea Salt & Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS
2/3 cup Hot water
10 ounces Land of Lakes cocoa mix
2 cups JIF creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups C&H powdered sugar, divided 2cups + 1 cup
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
2 cups crushed ginger snaps
72 Hershey Kisses (I like the cherry cordials)

  • Whisk together the hot water and cocoa mix until smooth.
  • Add peanut butter and corn syrup. Blend until smooth.
  • Add 2 cups powdered sugar and stir until well blended.
  • Stir in cookie crumbs until well blended.
  • Spray wax paper with PURE (these will be sticky so don’t forget this step).
  • Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto the wax paper.
  • Place the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
  • Roll each piece of dough into a ball and dredge in powdered sugar.
  • Press your thumb into the center and fill with a Hershey’s kiss.

SEA SALT & CARAMEL RICE KRISPY TREATS

SEA SALT & CARAMEL RICE KRISPY TREATS
8 cups Rice Krispies
50 Kraft caramels
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons sea salt flakes

  • In a medium sauce pan over a low-medium heat stir together the sweetened condensed milk, the caramels and 1/4 cup of the unsalted butter until smooth.
  • Remove from heat.

 

  • Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil, extending over the edge.
  • Spray with non-stick PURE or PAM.
  • Melt remaining butter in large sauce pan.
  • Add marshmallows and stir  until just melted.
  • Add vanilla, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of caramel sauce and stir until smooth.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Stir in rice krispies until evenly coated.
  • Press into pan**.
  • Cool completely.

 

  • Pour remaining caramel over the COOLED rice krispy treats and spread even with a spatula.
  • Sprinkle sea salt flakes over top.
  • Enjoy!
  • Store in an airtight container.

**I use a stainless steel spatula that has been sprayed with PURE to keep it from sticking.  It helps to press down firmly to get an even level.

CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE

This is one of the most decadent desserts and yet so simple too.

APPLE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

CRUST
2 cups crushed gingersnap and vanilla wafer crumbs*
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup Fisher’s Cinnamon Pecans
11 ounce bag Kraft caramels
1/2 cup milk

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine cookie crumbs, melted butter and the pecans.
  • Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
  • Using a double boiler whisk together the milk and caramels until smooth.
  • Pour half of the caramel mixture over the crust, refrigerating the rest for later.
  • Refrigerate crust while making the filling.

FILLING
(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2/3 cup extra fine sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
2 large Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

  • In a large mixing bowl cream the cream cheese until smooth.
  • Gradually add sugar until well incorporated.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, blending until VERY smooth.
  • Blend in vanilla.
  • Spread mixture evenly over prepared crust.
  • Arrange apple slices evenly over cream cheese mixture.
  • Bake on enter rack for 50-60 minutes until set (center should be only be SLIGHTLY jiggly.
  • Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes.

TOPPING
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons extra fine sugar
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla

  • Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.
  • Whisk together sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
  • Spread evenly over cheesecake.
  • Bake 5 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool 30 minutes.
  • Chill at least 3 hours (I do 8-10 hours).

GARNISH
1 Hershey’s milk chocolate ball
1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup Fisher’s Cinnamon Pecans

  • Grate chocolates together.

TO SERVE

  • Microwave reserve caramel sauce 15 seconds.
  • Pour a small amount over each slice and then sprinkle with chocolate gratings and reserved pecans.

*If you prefer the original recipe called for graham cracker crumbs