RECIPE: Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Tart
 Cheesecake with a twist: made in a tart pan with a hazelnut crust, topped with apples and salted caramel sauce. Photo courtesy U.S. Apple Association. |
Dying for a piece of cheesecake, we ran out to the corner deli for a slice. It was satisfactory, but a mistake: 12 hours later, we wanted another piece.
But the fourth snowfall of the month was swirling fiercely, so we did the next best thing: We tried a new recipe for Cheesecake Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce. The recipe is courtesy U.S. Apple Association. It makes the cheesecake in a tart pan instead of a spring mold, so the pieces are half the height (and half the calories). Other tasty variations: |
|
|
RECIPE #1: CHEESECAKE TART WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE Ingredients For 10 servings Crust Ingredients |
||
|
Preparation
1. PULSE the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor, until they have the texture of coarse sand. Add the butter, sugar, flour, and salt, and pulse again until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. 2. GATHER the dough into a ball, then press into the bottom and sides of a 10 or 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Transfer to the freezer and chill for at least 15 minutes. 3. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F and set a rack to the lower position. Rinse out the bowl of the food processor, then set it back on the base and add the cream cheese, sugar, cream, egg, vanilla, and salt. Process until evenly mixed, about 1 minute. 4. SET the tart pan on a baking sheet and pour the cheese mixture into the shell. Arrange the apple slices around the tart, pressing them lightly into the filling. Transfer to the oven and bake until the filling is set and the crust is lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with salted caramel sauce (recipe below). |
 If you don’t have time to make the salted caramel recipe below, you can buy a jar. Photo courtesy Sur La Table. |
|
|
RECIPE #2: SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE Ingredients For 2 Cups 1. POUR water into a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat. Add the sugar in a mound in the center of the pot. 2. COVER the pot and cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the mixture turns a pale amber, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not swirl or stir during this time. 3. REMOVE the lid and watch the caramel closely. When it turns a darker amber color, remove it from the heat and carefully add the cream. There will be a burst of steam, so be careful. 4. ADD the teaspoon of kosher salt and stir. Serve warm. |
||
