Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake with Caramel Apple Topping

Phew. That title is a mouthful, yes. But I baked this cheesecake because

1.) Cheesecake is my FAVOURITE, to go cake even though it is technically a custard. 

2.) It is autumn SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD, where the leaves turn all shades of beautiful golden red hues. These autumn spiced cheesecakes seemed perfect to comfort myself for missing out on Mother Nature's fall splendour, heh heh heh. 

3.) I love browsing baking blogs, and this stunner caught my eye. On a side note, doesn't The Candid Appetite's Bourbon Banana Cheesecake looking TO DIE FOR? 

Cinnamon Swirled Cheesecake (Serves 5)

Recipe by The Bakerlily

For Crust

• 80g crushed oat cookies ( I used Quaker Oats )
• 40g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F (175c).

Blend all ingredients in bowl. Press mixture over bottom of baking pan. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. (My muffin tins took 6 minutes)

Transfer to rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. (160c)

For Cheesecake Filling

• 2 8-ounce (225g) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 medium eggs
• Zest + Juice of 1 lemon
• 90g cup sour cream

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest.

Transfer filling to cooled crust. Dollop on cinnamon mixture and swirl with a toothpick. 

Bake cake until top is dry-looking and the middle jiggles slightly when tapped (20 minutes in giant muffin moulds, 1 hour in springform pan).

Let cool and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.

Cinnamon swirl filling

• 3/8 cup light brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. The mixture should be grainy but spoonable. 

Gooey Apple Filling

• 2 green medium apples (chopped / sliced)
• 40g packed light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

On medium heat, Cook apples with lemon juice and sugar for until soft but not mushy. About five minutes. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and salt until combined. Optional : Mix in caramel sauce and spoon apples onto each individual cheesecake. TA - DAH! 

Baker's Notes

1.) I prefer to bake my cheesecakes in giant muffin pans, makes for easier serving. It is an extra hassle because I have to line and butter each tray with parchment paper for easy removal.

2.) Caramel is super easy to make once you get the hang of it, plus you can freeze extras! I mixed my apple filling with leftover caramel sauce and it was diviiiine.

3.) My top cheesecake tip - jiggle the pan when the done time is near. It's done when it jiggles in the centre, it will continue to cook when you take it out of the oven. 

Dark Chocolate Banana Croissant Puddings

I awoke to a grey, rainy day. Unusually chilly for Singapore, though I suspect foreigners might scoff 'YOU THINK THIS IS COLD?!' . But whatever, chilly afternoons are a perfect excuse to make puddings. Warm, toasty and chocolatey puddings. Puddings that make you sigh with contentment as you spoon in every soft, sweet bite. Puddings that go great with ice cream. 

Even though this one made me really sad at the end because it was GONE, it's still a keeper - silky dark chocolate, creamy bananas and buttery croissants. Yummmmeh! Frantically scraped every last nugget of croissant and chocolate crust, but sigh. All good things have to come to an end. I deviated from Nigella's original recipe, which called for too much liquid and added my own few mix-ins. 

Feel free to toss in some nuts for added texture. Or if you've a dessert death wish (HIGH5!!!!), drizzle with some irish toffee sauce.

Baker's Notes

• I used individual ramekins which are great for a dinner party and calls for a shorter baking time (20 minutes). Serve it family style in a huge dish, but remember to extend the baking time to 45-50 minutes.
• Butter your ramekins generously to lift the puddings out. 
• Whisk in the eggs one at a time to the custard mixture, but quickly, so you don't have a scrambled eggfest on hand! 

Dark Chocolate Banana Croissant Puddings (Serves 4)

Author : The Bakerlily

Ingredients

3 stale croissants

125 grams sugar

3 tablespoons water

180ml double cream

180 ml full fat milk

3 tablespoons irish cream (or rum)

3 large eggs (beaten)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

60g chopped dark chocolate

2 sliced medium bananas

1.    Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350ºF.

2.   Tear the croissants into pieces and put in individual ramekins.Scatter an equal portion of sliced bananas and chocolate onto the croissants.

3.   Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, and swirl around to help dissolve the sugar before putting the saucepan on the hob over a medium to high heat.

4.   Caramelize the sugar and water mixture by letting it bubble away, without stirring, until it all turns a deep amber colour; this will take 3-5 minutes. Swirl, but don't stir. In the meantime, whisk together your milk, vanilla, salt and cinnamon.

5.   Turn heat down to low and add the cream - ignoring all spluttering - and, whisking away, add in the milk mixture. Any solid toffee that forms in the pan will dissolve easily if you keep whisking over low heat. Take off the heat and, still whisking, add the beaten eggs quickly. 

6.    Pour the caramel bourbon custard over the croissants and leave to steep for 10 minutes if the croissants are very stale.

7.  Place in the oven for 20 minutes and until pudding springs back when gently touched. Puddings are best served and eaten warm, with a dollop of ice cream. 

Green & Black's Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

Being a fan of chocolate and pudds, I decided to embark on my first Green & Black's recipe - a classic Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake by Anita Kinniburgh. This cake is a British classic, reinvented with dashes of dark, deep chocolate and is so gooey and rich. Since we're going baaaaad, why not top it off with homemade Hazelnut Irish Cream Toffee Sauce and Snickers ice cream? 

Think of it as a mid week treat or as my sister says - 'A perfect wintertime dessert!' It's snowing a blizzard SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD, I'M SURE.. 

Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding, adapted from Green & Black's (Serves 4-6)

• 100g Green & Black's dark cooking chocolate ( I used regular 70% dark chocolate)
• 
  
• 200ml boiling water
• 
  
• 100g chopped dates (Medjool dates are the richest)
• 
  
• 70g unsalted butter, softened
• 
  
• 100g soft light brown or light muscovado sugar
• 
  
• 2 large eggs
• 
  
• 150g plain flour
• 
  
• 2/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 
  
• 2/3 tsp baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1.) Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Grease ramekins  

     with butter or plain oil.

2.) Put the water in a saucepan, reduce to a simmer and 

     soak the dates for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt the 

     chocolate then set aside to cool.

3.) Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light 

     and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, and then mix in 

     the melted chocolate. (Make sure your chocolate is cool, 

     or your eggs will scramble!)

4.) Sift in the dry ingredients, then add the dates and their 

     soaking liquid and stir to mix. Pour the mixture into the 

     prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until 

     knife comes out clean. 

       And this is, as Guy Fieri would put - 'THE MONEY SHOT'.

Hazelnut Bailey's Irish Cream Toffee Sauce (Serves 6 generously)

1/3 cup (175 mL) butter

2/3 cup (300 mL) packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup (175 mL) whipping cream

2 tbsp (60 mL) Bailey's

1.) Melt butter over medium heat; stir in sugar until dissolved. Add cream and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in Bailey's; keep warm.



2.) To assemble, poke holes all over the still warm cake and spoon toffee sauce generously over cakes. Serve with ice cream and leave the remaining toffee for your guests to enjoy!

Baker's Notes

1.) I forgot to add in the soaking liquid, which made my cakes more spongey and dry. This can be remedied with extra toffee sauce, but don't make the same mistake I did!

2.) Do chop the dates up finely, but a little texture is fine too.

3.) You don't have to use Bailey's for the sauce. You can withhold it, or play it up with Scotch, Rum and Whiskey!