Friday 26 October 2018

Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

I love how I never used to make baked cheesecakes and now I can't stop with them!



Honestly, for years I used to be so scared of baked cheesecake and would only stick to the no-bake version. It was so much easier - just mix up and chill in the fridge. 

Finally, in August 2017 I made baked cheesecake bars. We were going to visit my cousin in Warrington and thought I would take them along with us. Everyone loved them but me? I was just happy that I hadn't ruined them. Somehow I thought baking a cheesecake in the oven would ruin and curdle it but I was very glad to have been proven wrong. The entire baked cheesecake world had just been opened up to me.
After my baked cheesecake success, I made many more. I did post a giant no-bake chocolate orange version version on the blog but after that during Ramadan, I made 72 mini baked cheesecakes in the oven. All 72 turned out wonderful and my baked cheesecake phobia was well and truly cured.
One fruit that I would never usually associate with cheesecake are apples. But after watching seeing a few recipes online, I couldn't get the combination out of my head and decided to bake them for all of you. Here they are - a dessert with everyone's favourites in one. Starting with a buttery shortbread base, a creamy baked vanilla cheesecake, plenty of cinnamon apples, and topped with that autumnal favourite - an oat crumble. Bake them, chill them, slice them, and share them. Happy last weekend of October to you!

Apples, previously: polish apple cake // apple pie bars //apple pie // apple and cinnamon cake // apple and blackberry crumble

A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Shortbread Base:
1. Caster Sugar
2. Soft Light Brown Sugar
3. Butter
4. Plain Flour
5. Salt

For the Cheesecake Filling:
1. Cream Cheese
2. Eggs
3. Caster Sugar
4. Vanilla Essence

For the Apples:
1. Cooking Apples
2. Caster Sugar
3. Ground Cinnamon

For the Oat Crumble:
1. Rolled Oats
2. Plain Flour
3. Soft Light Brown Sugar
4. Baking Powder
5. Salt
6. Ground Cinnamon
7. Butter

Bismillah, let's begin!

Pre-heat the oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 9x13 inch (22x33cm) rectangle baking tin.

First, we'll bake the shortbread base. Into a bowl, measure out:
60g Caster Sugar
60g Soft Light Brown Sugar
230g Butter, at room temperature

Beat together until pale and creamy.

Add in:
270g Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Mix until just combined.

Scrape the dough out into the baking tin.

Press the dough into an even layer in the tin.

Bake for 15 minutes at 180C or Gas Mark 4 until the edges are lightly golden. Set aside until needed.

Meanwhile, let's make the cheesecake filling. I used the same bowl because hello, less washing up! Into the bowl, measure out 450g Cream Cheese, at room temperature. Give it a quick beat to break up.

Add in:
2 large Eggs
120g Caster Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence

Beat until smooth and well combined. Set aside until needed.

Time to prep the apples! Peel, dice and core 3 large Cooking Apples (about 700g).

Add in 2 tablespoons Caster Sugar and 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon.

Mix up and set aside.

Finally, our last job is to mix up the oat crumble. Into a mixing bowl, measure out:
100g Rolled Oats
70g Plain Flour
120g Soft Light Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Mix the dry ingredients together before adding in 85g cold and cubed Butter.

Rub the butter in with your fingertips until you have a crumble.

So, let's run through everything that we've made. We have the shortbread base, a cheesecake filling. the chopped apples, and an oat crumble.

Let's assemble the bars!

Pour the cheesecake filling over the shortbread.

Top with the chopped apples.

And, sprinkle over the oat crumble.

Bake the cheesecake for 30-40 minutes at 180C or Gas Mark 4 until deep golden and the middle is just set.

Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for a few hours then pop into the fridge to chill completely.

I love this recipe because it's something a little different. A crispy shortbread base, creamy vanilla cheesecake, cinnamon apples, and all finished with the oaty crumble on top. Perfect to share with loved ones throughout Autumn! 

Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars.

the cheesecake version of our Autumn favourite,

Prep Time: About 30 minutes.
Bake Time: About 55 minutes.
Chill Time: A few hours or overnight.
Serves: Makes about 20 medium bars.

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Base
60g Caster Sugar
60g Soft Light Brown Sugar
230g Butter, at room temperature 
270g Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt

For the Cheesecake Filling
450g Cream Cheese, at room temperature
2 large Eggs
120g Caster Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence

For the Apples
3 large Cooking Apples (about 700g)
2 tablespoons Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

For the Oat Crumble
100g Rolled Oats
70g Plain Flour
120g Soft Light Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
85g Butter, cold and cubed

Prep the oven and tin:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C or Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 9x13 inch (22x33cm) rectangle baking tin.

Bake the shortbread base:
Beat the caster sugar, brown sugar, and butter until pale and creamy. Add the flour and salt. Beat until just combined. Add the dough to the baking tin and press into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes until the shortbread is lightly golden at the edges.

Make the cheesecake filling:
Beat the cream cheese for 1 minute to break it up. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla essence. Beat until well combined and smooth.

Prepare the apples:
Peel, core and dice the apples. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon.

Make the oat crumble:
Mix everything except the butter until combined. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until you have a crumble.

Assemble and bake the cheesecake bars:
Pour the cheesecake filling over the shortbread base. Top with the apples and then sprinkle over the oat crumble. Bake at 180C or Gas Mark 4 for 30-40 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the middle is just about set.

Cool and serve:
Cool the cheesecake at room temperature for a few hours. Then, chill in the fridge until completely cold. Slice and serve!

{adapted from laura in the kitchen}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your cheesecake bars!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


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