Apple Maple Crinkle

 

I am always searching for something new to bring to a potluck or family get together.  This dish was so good and I had all but two ingredients in the house!  The crinkle idea put my heart to rest on appearance as this isn't supposed to look perfect and I LOVE that!  The maple and cinnamon make the perfect complement to the tart of the apples.  I just loved this and I hope you do too!

Base Ingredients:

1/2 (1 lb) box phyllo dough, thawed (one tube)
1 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I did 1/4 cup white and 1/4 cup brown)
½ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Granny Smith apple (peeled and very thinly sliced and pat them dry on paper towels)

Glaze:

3 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup maple syrup

Garnish:

1/3 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Pick up two sheets of phyllo dough at a time and crinkle them in accordion folds. Fit folded dough into the prepared baking dish and repeat the process until you’ve worked through one roll of dough. Fluff folds to ensure they’re evenly spaced.

Bake folded dough for 10 minutes.

Remove dough from oven and tuck in the apple slices throughout the folds.  It's super important for those apple slices to be as dry as possible.  They add a ton of moisture to the dish and you don't want it to be soggy.

Drizzle melted butter over the top. Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes.

As the buttered dough bakes, whisk together the milk eggs, sugar, maple syrup, maple extract, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.

Remove the baked dough from the oven and pour the maple mixture evenly over the top.

Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until golden.

During the final bake time prepare the glaze by whisking together the melted butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.

Allow crinkle to cool then drizzle glaze over the top.  If you're super sweet - sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar too!

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

 

Our pecan trees are producing at their all-time high, so I wanted to find a recipe to soak up their yumminess!  This recipe sure fits the bill for a new Fall favorite!   This one takes a little time but is super easy. Accept the fact that your cake will split near the center, but it won't matter when you put that delicious topping on it!  This is my favorite pecan pie plus Chad's favorite cheesecake!  Made in Heaven!

You'll need:

Crust:

1 cup pecan halves

2 sleeves graham crackers (14 crackers)

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup salted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

3 - 8oz blocks of cream cheese

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

3 large eggs

Pecan Pie Topping:

1/2 cup salted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

2 cups pecan halves

Instructions

Crust:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. Place your pecans in a food processor and pulse on high until they are finely ground.

3. Add your graham crackers to the food processor and pulse until they a sand-like texture.

4. Transfer the pecan/graham mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix with a spatula until well-combined - the texture should be like moist sand.

5. Pour the crust mixture into a 9” spring-form pan and push it up against the sides to form a crust.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Cheesecake Filling:

1. Reduce the heat in your oven to 325°F.

2. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix until smooth and creamy.

3. Add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. Blend again until well-combined.

4. Add the egg yolks and whole eggs, then blend until they are just combined. Do not over-mix.

5. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan with your crust.

6. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the heat in your oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Then open the door of the oven and let the cheesecake cool for another 30 minutes.

7. Store covered in the fridge overnight.

Pecan Pie Topping:

1. In a large pan over medium heat, melt your butter.

2. When your butter is melted, add the brown sugar and stir until fully-combined.

3. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Add the vanilla extract and stir until fully-combined.

5. Add your room temperature heavy cream and stir vigorously until a creamy sauce forms.

6. Add in your pecan halves and stir until all of the pecans are well-coated.

7. Pour the pecan topping over the top of your cheesecake and smooth it out with a spatula.

8. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

I recommend placing your springform pan on a baking tray to insure if anything bakes over, it doesn't spill over in your oven. I let my cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight to improve the cut.

I warn you now, if you start tasting those pecans, you won't be able to stop! Ya'll enjoy!