Simple Cheesecake Recipes

As promised, here are two more simple cheesecake recipes.  The first is a little more complicated, but worth the effort.  

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Crust

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cheesecake

1/4 cup sugar

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Or you may use canned apples or my apple-pie-in-a-jar drained

Topping

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Crust: 

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon until combined and crumbly.  Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish lined with foil.  Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven until lightly golden brown, about 8 to 12 minutes; set aside and let cool.

Cheesecake:

Beat the sugar into the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

Apples:

Mix the apples, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg.  Sprinkle the apples on top of the cream cheese layer.

Topping:

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, cinnamon and rolled oats until combined and crumbly.  Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the apples. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until the cheesecake has set, about 25 to 35 minutes, and let cool.

Caramel Sauce:

Heat the sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat and simmer it until it turns a medium amber color.   

Remove from heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream.  Return to heat and cook until smooth, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the butter.  Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.  Let cool and serve over the apple cheesecake bars.

Vanilla Cheesecake Pastry

Last but not least, this is the simplest of all and used that favorite ingredient of mine, puffed pastry.

1 box of puff pastry (2 sheets)

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) whipped cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

½ cup sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting

Thaw your puff pastry in the refrigerator.  When it is thawed, unfold each and put on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar well until completely blended.  Spread over the bottom layer crust.  Add the second sheet to the top.   Bake for 30 minutes in a 325 degree oven and let cool.

After taking it out of the oven, sprinkle it well with powdered sugar.  Serve once cooled.

Tomorrow I think I'll share a couple of appetizers with you for your next gathering.  

Gather together, share food and good company and be happy.  May God bless you and yours.