Apple Pie Cheesecake

I went apple picking upstate with the bf's fam two weeks ago and hauled a bag of apples home. I've been eating one daily and now have BECOME SICK OF APPLES. Soooo, I decided to make apple pie filling and put it in a cheesecake! After moving to New York, I can't and won't stop eating cheesecakes. It did give new life to plain apples and they were tolerable again :P

The apples that we could only pick were the Shizuka variety, since we went late and everyone already picked all the fuji and honeycrisp apples. It was like a plague of locusts just swept through the apple trees. But it worked out for me because shizuka apples are sweet, slightly tart, firm and perfect for baking or cooking. Since we had to pay an entrance fee to enter the grounds, you bet your butt I ate a lot of apples to get my money's worth! I couldn't look at another apple for days. Except I'm stuck in the SICU for 5 weeks and my food tray always includes an apple :(

I wanted to make a lighter cheesecake and incorporated a lot of yogurt. It still tastes very much like a rich cheesecake, but so much better for my muffin tops ;)

Apple Pie Cheesecake

makes one 9" cake

Apple pie filling
2 large apples peeled and diced, use firm slightly tart apples like pink lady
1 tsp butter
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

1. On low medium heat, melt butter and spices. Add 1 tbsp water, diced apples and sugar
2. Stir often and cook for about 6-8 mins until apples are slightly soft
3. Make the cornstarch slurry by adding water and cornstarch together until no lumps. Drizzle into apple filling
4. Cook for additional 3-5 minutes to thicken and until it bubble. Set aside to cool

Yogurt Cheesecake

Your favorite pie crust recipe (I use Ina Garten because she is a Food Goddess!)
2 8oz cream cheese
1 3/4 cup whole milk Siggi (I used) or greek yogurt
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400F. No need to roll out the pie dough. Just press into a 9" springform pan and up the sides a little. Poke holes with fork. Blind bake pie crust for 15 mins
2. Reduce oven temp to 325F. In a mixer or large bowel beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in yogurt, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice
3. Beat in 1 egg at a time, making sure not to over beat as it can introduce bubbles
4. Cover springform pan sides with foil and place in larger pan to make a water bath. Pour room temp water into the bath until half way up cheesecake pan
5. Bake for 50-60 mins until middle is just set. Crack oven door open and cool in oven for 1 hour. Let cool completely at room temp afterwards
6. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight to set
7. Make the top pretty with dried apple slices and pie crust leaves!

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Pumpkin Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Pepita Brittle

YO YO YO, is it pumpkin time again?! I love pumpkin spiced latte (#PSL) like a basic white girl and I'm always super excited for the fall. Mostly because I can eat cans and cans of pumpkin and hide all the carb loading I'm doing all winter under a heavy jacket. I'm posting something I made two years ago, that I never got the chance post! I don't ever have an excuse for not posting often other than surgical residency life/  lack of sleep getting in the way. I just finished my transplant rotation and I kid you not...  I've only slept 6 hours in the past 4 days. Even though the surgeries and patients are amazing, the lifestyle is just not :\  And I pity the fellows, who must really be into suffering haha.

Anyhoo, back to pumpkin cake! This makes for a very moist cake due to the pumpkin puree and the cream cheese frosting with a hint of maple syrup really tops it off. The brittle adds some crunch and savory flavor. The brittle will melt into the frosting, so just stick it into the slices of cake or lay on top right before serving.

Pumpkin Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Pepita Brittle

makes a 8x8" cake

Pumpkin Cake
1-2/3 cup flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/4 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1.5 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used lighter flavor olive oil)
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, separated

Maple cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
6 tbsp butter, room temp

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare pan with parchment paper and butter. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour to pumpkin puree). In a smaller bowl, mix oil, sugar, salt (I know these are dry too :P) and egg yolks in a smaller bowl.
2. Whisk up egg whites until it is foamy and slightly bubbly. I added a tbsp of sugar to help it going
3. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in egg whites until no whites remains (some streaking is fine!)
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50mins or until a knife stuck in the middle just comes out clean (little moisture is fine!). It'll keep cooking outside so don't leave it in too long. Let it cool for 10 mins until taking it out to cool completely
5. For the frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in brown sugar and maple syrup until the brown sugar isn't grainy in it. Then beat in powdered sugar. 
6. Spread on frosting to cooled cake. Serve immediately, or you can keep it in the fridge and let it sit on the counter for at least an hour before serving.

Pepita seed brittle

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp butter, room temp

1. Prepare a pan with a silicone mat or that pan has to be real buttered up
2. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, vanilla extract and then water. Bring to boil and cook WITHOUT stirring until lightly amber
3. Stir in pumpkin seeds and once medium/dark amber, pour onto prepared baking sheet
4. Cool completely and then break into pieces

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Matcha Cinnamon Apple Scones

Whoa! It's been way too long since I updated the blog. Honestly when residency started, I thought I would never come back to it because on the little free time I had off I just wanted to veg on the couch or sleep. I'm now on night float so I've been able to make things during the day and werk, werk, werk all night.

I'm also updating just in time too for my favorite season! I love, love sweater weather and all things cinnamon and pumpkin spiced. For my comeback, I've made these matcha cinnamon apple scones that were adapted from King Arthur Flour.

 Unfortunately the weather was rainy and dark, so these pictures aren't the best :(

Matcha Apple Scones

makes 16 mini scones

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp matcha (I used panatea culinary grade matcha)
1 stick cold butter (cut into pieces)
1/2 cup finely diced apple
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple sauce

turbinado sugar to top
Icing sugar mixed with a little milk

1. In a large mixing bowel, mix flour, sugar, salt, matcha, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut cold butter into dry mix until crumbly. You'll have some larger chunks of butter but that's okay!
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla and apple sauce. Add wet to dry ingredients, toss in chopped apple and stir until just moistened
3. Line pan with silpat or parchment paper. Flour surface and your hands. Divide dough, which is pretty goopy) in half and pat each half into a 6" circle about 3/4" thick
4. Brush each circle with milk and top with turbinado sugar. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and pull them apart from each other just a bit so there is some space
5. Place scones uncovered into freezer for 30 minutes. This is important for best texture and rise!
6. Preheat oven to 425F. Bake scones 20-24 mins or until edges are slightly golden brown
7. Cool briefly on pan before transferring onto rack.
8. I mixed some powdered sugar with a little milk to glaze on top

This post was sponsored by panatea matcha. I was provided products to use, but all opinions are my own.

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Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake

Happy Halloween! Today, I feel like I have to rant (when do I not?). I came to school dressed like Wednesday Addams (yea I still dress up >.<), with stripy socks, collared shirt buttoned to my neck and braided pigtails. I thought I was dead on with the costume, but I have had 2 people in my class think I was Britney Spears. Yes, the Britney Spears in her school girl outfit. I mean... my dress up is SUPER conservative. I'm choking in my buttoned collar and have absolutely no skin exposed! Other than that, I've been told I look like a Japanese schoolgirl. Ungh...

On a brighter note, this pumpkin cheesecake was such a hit! It has a subtle spicy-ness and warmth with a definite pumpkin note. This is a cheesecake I need to make again! 

Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake

adapted from allrecipes.com (makes a 5" cake)
*double ingredients for 9" except use 3 eggs not 4

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
2 tbsp butter, melted

Cheesecake
12 oz cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 packages of 8oz)
1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk (7oz)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (drained*)
2 medium eggs
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice + 1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. layer 2 kitchen towels in a bowl and put 1 cup of pumpkin puree and let it drain for 10 mins. Cover it with another 2 kitchen towels again. The puree won't stick at all but this gets rid of all the excess water. You should end up with 3/4 cup of a ball of pumpkin that you can pick up
3. To make the crust, mix the crumbs, sugar, ginger together. Drizzle in the butter and mix. Pat the crust mix into a 5" spring form pan. Bake for 8-10 mins and let cool
4. For the cheesecake, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in the condensed milk. While beating, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, syrup, vanilla and salt and spices.
5. Gently mix the flour in (try not to over mix). Bake at 325F for 50 mins.
6. DO NOT take it out of the oven. Just switch the oven off and let it sit there for 3 hours. This prevents the surface from cracking and no meddling with water baths!
7. Chill for at least 2 hours and best overnight for a perfect cheesecake texture. Enjoy!

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Healthier Chocolate Chip & Pecan Pumpkin Bread

I'm really getting ready for sweater weather. My body knows it. My hunger knows it. I just feel like eating and snacking all day long, wrapped up in a oversized sweater that hangs down to my knees. It doesn't help when I love (and I MEAN LOVE) pumpkin baked goods: pumpkin lattes, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin bagels, cupcakes, ice cream!!! You get the idea. My pinterest is going crazy with pumpkin pins.

So I gave in. You know? To those pumpkin callings and sweater body. Luckily, I own 10 pairs of sweatpants. Haha. I did make this pumpkin bread a little healthier though. Makes me feel a tad bit better about myself :P

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

makes 1 loaf

1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 vegetable oil
1/4 cup yogurt
2 eggs
1 heaping cup of pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mix of pecan and bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line loaf tin with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, sugars, salt, baking soda and spice. In a medium size bowl, beat eggs slightly, add yogurt, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla.
3. Gently mix together the wet and dry mix until just incorporated. It's okay if there are small streaks of flour. You don't want to over-mix or you will end up with a brick!
4. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts
5. Bake for 50-60mins or until a toothpick poked in the middle comes out dry

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