Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

8 whole graham crackers

1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, divided

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 tablespoon orange zest

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature (recommended: Philadelphia)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light muscovado sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 large vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 recipe Apple Mixture, recipe follows

1 recipe Apple Caramel Sauce, recipe follows

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the graham crackers, 1/2 cup of the walnuts and brown sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. With the motor running, add the butter through the feed tube and process until the mixture just comes together. Spray the bottom and side of the pan with cooking spray. Pat the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until lightly golden brown and just set, about 8 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and let cool completely.

Combine 1/4 cup of the sugar and the orange zest in a food processor and process until combined.

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand fixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the orange sugar, remaining granulated sugar, and light muscovado sugar and beat again until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time and mix until just incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla seeds and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the salt and heavy cream and mix until just combined.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake until the sides of the cake are slightly puffed and set and the center still jiggles, about 55 minutes.

Turn the heat off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon and allow the cake to cook in the water bath for 1 hour. Remove the cake to a baking rack and allow to cool to room temperature for 2 hours. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours until chilled through.

Top with the warm apple topping, drizzle liberally with the caramel sauce and sprinkle with the remaining toasted walnuts. Serve additional sauce on the side.

Apple Mixture:

Ingredients

2 cups apple juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, reserved from the cheesecake mixture

1 tablespoon cold butter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced

3 Fuji apples, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced

1/4 cup apple brandy (recommended: Calvados)

Cooking Directions

Bring apple juice, sugar and vanilla bean to a boil in a large saute pan over high heat and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in the butter until melted. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized and soft. Add the apple brandy and cook until reduced by 1/2. Transfer the apples to a plate and let cool slightly.

Apple-Caramel Sauce:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup heavy cream

Pinch salt

3 tablespoons apple brandy (recommended: Calvados)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat (do not stir), swirling the pot occasionally to even out the color, until amber in color, 10 to 12 minutes.

While the caramel is cooking. Place the heavy cream in a small pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and keep warm.

When the caramel has reached the desired color, slowly whisk in the heavy cream and salt and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple brandy and vanilla extract. Keep warm. 

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus 2 teaspoons, softened

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

3 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 pounds strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced

1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur, plus a little more for drizzling (recommended: Grand Marnier)

1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13-inch glass casserole with the 2 teaspoons of butter and set aside.

Combine the eggs and milk in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. Add 1 1/3 cups of the sugar and continue to beat at high speed until the mixture is quite thick and pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Fold this mixture gently into the egg mixture. Gently stir in the melted butter and then transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and bake in the center of the oven until risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before proceeding.

Make the strawberry topping by combining the strawberries, remaining 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup orange liqueur, and orange zest in a large bowl and tossing to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to assemble the dessert.

Make the whipped cream by combining the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar in a large bowl and beating with an electric mixer or whisk until slightly thickened. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture nearly forms stiff peaks.

When ready to assemble the dessert, poke holes all over the cake using a cake tester or toothpick. Drizzle cake with a little orange liqueur. Cut the cake into 1 1/2-inch cubes and place half of the cake cubes on the bottom of a deep-sided dessert bowl. Add half of the strawberry mixture over the top of the cake cubes, juices and all, spreading strawberries evenly with a spatula and allowing the juices to absorb into the cake. Top with the remaining cake cubes and then the remaining strawberries. Top with the whipped cream and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour in advance before serving. 

Perfect Poppy Seed Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 white cake mix

1/2 c. poppy seeds or 1 box

4 egg whites

1 sm. instant vanilla pudding

1/2 c. cooking oil

Cooking Directions

Combine poppy seeds with amount of water stated on box of cake mix. Let stand overnight. Combine mix, poppy seed and water, 4 egg whites and pudding mix; beat for 2 minutes. Add oil and beat for 2 more minutes. Mixture will be very light and fluffy. Pour into greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Frost cooled cake with Waldorf Frosting.

Armenian Poppy Seed Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 (2 oz.) box poppy seeds

1 box white cake mix (or your own choice recipe)

1 box (3 1/2 oz.) vanilla or lemon pudding mix (not instant)

Cooking Directions

Soak poppy seeds 1 hour in 1 cup water or milk. Which you plan to use in the cake. Make cake as directed, using the poppy seed mixture for part of the liquid. Use layer pans. Make the pudding, using 1/4 cup less liquid to make it stiffer for the filling. Cool and spread between layers. Frost with white icing, use your own butter recipe, or for a lemon flavor, try 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Poppy Seed Cake with Raspberry Puree Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 c. sugar

2 lg. eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

1/3 c. poppy seeds

1/4 c. fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp. grated orange rind

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

Pinch of salt

Powdered sugar, sifted over the top of the cake

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the removable inside of a tube cake pan and dust it with flour. Shake out excess flour.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, beating well after each egg is added. Beat into the mixture the sour cream, the poppy seeds, the orange juice and orange rind and vanilla. Sift the flour and other dry ingredients together and add to the batter mix, incorporating well. Pour into the tube cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the inside tube section of the pan so that the cake can cool completely. At that time, transfer to a cake plate and sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake.

Raspberry Puree: Allow frozen raspberries to thaw, then pulse in a blender until liquified. You may wish to add 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar or 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier liqueur. Force the puree through a fine sieve to remove the berry seeds.

Place 2 tablespoons of raspberry sauce on each dessert plate. Top with a slice of poppyseed cake and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Yield: 8 Servings.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg. Duncan Hines De Lights Lemon cake mix

1 1/3 c. water

2 eggs

3 tbsp. poppy seed

Glaze:

1 c. confectioners' sugar

3-4 tsp. lemon juice

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 cup bundt pan. Empty cake mix into large bowl. Add water, eggs and poppy seeds. Mix, bake and cool following package directions. For glaze, combine sugar and lemon juice. Stir until blended and drizzle over cake.

Yield: 16 Servings.

Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Cake:

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 egg

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tbsp. poppy seed

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. sour cream

Cooking Directions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of 9 or 10 inch spring-form pan. In large bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar and butter, until light and fluffy. Add lemon peel and egg. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup. Level off. In medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, poppy seed, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Spread batter over bottom and 1-inch up sides of greased and floured pan, making sure batter on sides is 1/4-inch thick.

Ingredients

Filling:

2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed, drained on paper towels

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. flour

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Cooking Directions

Filling:

In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Spoon over batter.

Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool slightly. Remove sides of pan.

Ingredients

Glaze:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 to 2 tsp. milk

Cooking Directions

Glaze:

In small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough milk until glaze is of desired drizzling consistency. Blend until smooth. Drizzle over top of warm cake. Serve warm or cool.

Yield: 8 Servings.