no-bake apple pie cheesecake

apple picking season is here & i am so excited for fall! i seriously wait for this moment all summer long (sorry summer lovers). summer was amazing & went by rather quickly, but instead of being sad it's over let's just celebrate with pie. this pie is not your tradtional apple pie or traditional cheesecake. it is a no-bake recipe with a stove top apple pie topping! it brings the best of both worlds together.

for the crust i use diamond's of california prepared pecan crust. it makes this recipe extra simple, as you don't have to worry about preparing a crust from scratch. it also works as the perfect base for this fluffy cream cheese filling & has a great nutty flavour. i favour no-bake cheesecakes not just because they are easier to make, but i love the texture of them too. not dense like a baked cheesecake, more like biting into a cloud! diamond's crust comes in both pecan + walnut flavour, so either works for this recipe. for the apples, use any variety you like best for baking. the apples can be peeled or the skins left on (all about personal preference), but be sure to slice them evenly so they cook up at the same time.

ingredients

for the apple pie filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large apples, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

for the cheesecake:

• 16 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 diamond of california's pecan pie crust
• 1 batch apple pie filling (see recipe)
• caramel sauce, for serving

directions

for the apple pie filling:

• melt the butter in a medium skillet over low heat. add the apples & sugar, toss to coat.
• stir in the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of water, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. cook (continuously stirring) until the apples soften, about 10 minutes.
• whisk together the cornstarch with the remaining water. add to skillet & stir to combined. once the filling begins to cool, remove from heat & let chill to room temperature.

for the cheesecake:

• in a large mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese & 1/3 cup of sugar until fluffy.
• in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. add the remaining sugar & vanilla extract. whisk to stiff peaks.
• gradually add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture. beat until light & fluffy.
• transfer mixture to prepared pecan pie crust & smooth the top flat with an offset spatula. refrigerate for a minimum of two hours.
• when ready to serve, top with prepared apple pie filling.

this post was created in partnership with diamonds of california!

rhubarb, apple + coconut crisp

rhubarb is one of my all time favourite ingredients to bake with. i love all things sour, so it only makes sense that i love rhubarb in my desserts. this recipe is a pleasent change from a strawberry & rhubarb based recipe. it combines fresh rhubarb & apple, with a coconut topped crisp. as always, the topping portion of this recipe yields a very generous amount, because i don't like to be skimpy on my fruit to crumble ratio. i want each bite of fruit to have an equal amount of sweet, buttery oats!

for this crisp i used bob's redmill unsweetened coconut flakes. i always stick to unsweetened coconut in my recipes, so i can control the amount of sweetness being added to a dish. i absolutely love working with the coconut flakes, as the texture of them is so light & (well) flaky! i like to snack on them too & use the large flakes in my granola or cereal. so good.

ingredients

for the fruit filling

• 4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced
• 3 cups apples, peeled & diced
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

for the topping

• 1 cup bob's red mill old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup bob's red mill all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bob's red mill unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold & cubed

directions

for the fruit filling

• preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• in a large mixing bowl toss together the rhubarb, apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla & lemon juice.
• transfer mixture to a 9 by 12 inch baking dish & set aside while you prepare your topping.

for the topping

• in a large mixing bowl whisk the oats, flour, flaked coconut, pecans, brown sugar & salt.
• add the cubed butter. using your hands workthe butter into the mixture until it resembles a pea sized crumb consistency.
• evenly disperse over the filling & bake for 50 to 50 minutes, until the fruit filling is bubbly.
• remove from oven & let cool slighty.
• serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

this post was created in partnership with bob's red mill! 

like what you see? get it here. baking dish | mixing bowl | tea towel | flatware

roasted banana bread

i have been making so much banana bread lately. maybe it is all of the snow we have gotten this month that is keeping me indoors or maybe it is because it is my absolute favourite thing to bake! while i was CONVINCED my banana bread recipe was absolutely perfect (something that took quite a while to perfect), i am having fun mixing things up. for this recipe i roasted the bananas first to maximize the sweetness, used butter only, topped it with grey sea salt & i added over double the yogurt. now i don't know which recipe is better! this one turned out so moist.

i will be honest though, roasting the bananas first did not make as much of a difference then i thought it would. this technique would be great if you want to make banana bread but don't have the ripest of bananas on hand. it kind of speeds up the ripening process. this is also the first banana bread where i put a fresh sliced banana on top. how cool does it look?!? i don't know why it took me this long to do it, i have seen it pop up on my instagram so many times. i think i will do this from now on if i have an extra banana on hand.

ingredients

for the banana bread

• 3 roasted bananas, mashed (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup plain organic greek yogurt, full fat
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• raw sugar, to sprinkle on top
• grey sea salt, to sprinkle on top
• 1 banana, sliced lengthwise to top banana bread (optional but not really)

for the roasted bananas

• 3-4 large ripe bananas, peeled & sliced lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grey salt
• 1 pinch cinnamon

directions

for the banana bread

• preheat the oven to 325°F and butter a loaf pan.
• in a mixing bowl, mash the roasted bananas with melted butter and yogurt.
• stir in the raw sugar, egg, and pure vanilla extract until well combined.
• sift in cinnamon, baking soda, grey salt & flour. mix until just combined.
• pour into loaf pan, sprinkle with additional raw sugar & top with a sliced banana.
• bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 45-50 minutes.
• let cool completely before slicing!

for the roasted bananas

• preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet, lay in bananas sliced side up.
• sprinkle with raw sugar, grey salt & cinnamon.
• roast for 30 minutes, or until the flesh becomes browned & squishy.
• let cool.