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Tuesday 26 November 2013

Apple Crumble Cheesecake-The dessert that dreams are made of!




Apples.
Crumbles.
Cheesecakes.
These are 3 of my favourite things!

Apple crumble cheesecake had been on my "to try list" for far too long before I finally made it.  However it was definitely worth the wait! The cheesecake pictured is my first attempt, and has chunks of apple, and lots of crumble! However I've since altered the recipe slightly, so that there's less crumble (the first one was a bit tricky to get a spoon through!) and the apple is more cooked down.
I recommend using Bramley apples as they are far superior to all apples for desserts! 

I think this would make a lovely Christmas day dessert, or would suit any occassion where you want to indulge!

 (However if you're not a fan of cheesecakes that use a lot of vegan cream cheese then look away now!)

There's a few steps to this recipe, however the base, apple, and crumble can all be made ahead of time if need be.  (just pop the apple and crumble in the fridge until needed.)

Apple crumble cheesecake, makes one 6 or 7 inch cake

 You will need 
(food processor, spring form cake pan)

Ingredients

For the base:

200g Vegan digestive biscuits
100g vegan margarine

For the cheesecake:

2 and quarter teaspoons egg replacer powder
3 tablespoons water
1 and half tubs of tofutti creamy smooth "cream cheese" (approx 337g of cream cheese in total)
100g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Another 2 and quarter teaspoons egg replacer powder
Another 3 tablespoons water

For the apple layer:

2 large bramley cooking apples, peeled and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons white or brown sugar

For the crumble:

60g Plain flour
30g Vegan margarine
20g white sugar + 10g brown sugar (or all white sugar)
1 tablepoon demerara sugar

Method
1. Grease a 6 or 7 inch springform cake tin, and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.
 
2. Peel, core and chop the apples, then place in a medium sized saucepan.
Stir in lemon juice and sugar. Heat on a low heat, until the apples reduce down to a nice bubbly goop.
Keep an eye on them and stir occassionally.

3. Whilst the apples are cooking, destroy the digestive biscuits, using your preferred biscuit destruction method. (Recommended method: a food processor.)

4. Melt margarine in a saucepan or microwave, add biscuit crumbs and stir well.
Tip the mixture into the base of the cake tin, and press in using either the bottom of a glass, or the end of a rolling pin.

5. Preheat oven to 180 C.

Check apples. They should be soft, and break easily if you try and mash them with a fork.  If not cook a little longer. Once cooked turn off the heat, mash them down, and set the saucepan to one side.

6. Make crumble.  Measure 60g of plain flour into a medium sized bowl.  Add margarine and rub in with your finger tips until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Mix in white and brown sugar.

7. Make the cream cheese filling.
In a small bowl whisk 2 and quarter teaspoons egg replacer powder with 3 tablespoons of water.
Add to food processor along with cream cheese and sugar.  Blend.
Whisk second lot of egg replacer and add to food processor with vanilla extract. Blend again until smooth and creamy.  Stop the food processor now and then to scrape down the sides of the container with a spatula (to make sure all of the cream cheese gets blended).

8. Pour cream cheese mixture over biscuit base.  Use a spatula to make a slight dome in the centre of the cheesecake (as it sinks a little in the middle after cooking).

9. Carefully drop spoonfuls of apple evenly over the cheesecake, and if possible smooth out with the back of a spoon.

10. Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over the apple, but don't pat down. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon demerara sugar.

11. Place the tin in the centre of the oven, and bake for 45 mins.
After 45 mins turn off oven, but leave cheesecake in the oven for an extra 20 mins.
Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until cold.   When tin is cold place in the refrigerator and leave to set completely.  (for least 4 hours or preferably over night.)

12. Remove the cake from the tin, and carefully peel off the greaseproof paper.  Take 1 million photos of your beautiful creation (using any spare apples as props).
Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 mins or so before cutting and serving.


 Alternative ending:
Rather than baking the apple and crumble directly on to the cheesecake, cook the cheesecake naked, and then add the cooked apple and cooked crumble once the cheesecake has cooled and set. (to cook the crumble separately spread it out on a baking tray and cook at 180 C for 10 mins or so.)

Variations: Add some blackberries for apple and bramble crumble!
To be extra festive you could experiment with adding some mincemeat to the apple, or use it to replace the apple altogether!


If you make this recipe please let me know how it turns out!








Wednesday 13 November 2013

Easy Cheaty Vegan Desserts

Featuring: Lazy banoffee pie, Lazy chocolate pudding, Lazy trifle, Lazy cheesecake bites, Lazy apple turnovers!

Because sometimes you just want something sweet and tasty, fast!

The first 3 ideas all utilise Alpro desserts, available in the free from aisle of most UK supermarkets.

NOTE: If you are too lazy to make anything at all then most supermarkets sell vegan ice cream :)

1. Lazy Banoffee pie!
Super easy....

Vegan Banoffee Pie
Layer smashed vegan digestive biscuits with Alpro caramel dessert and sliced banana! Easy peesy :)

Serve immediately!

Variation: replace banana with toasted pecan nuts for lazy caramel pecan pie!

 
Or make a proper vegan banoffee pie using this recipe by Oh, Ladycakes

 





2. Lazy chocolate pudding
Super easy, super lazy!


Vegan chocolate puding
 Layer smashed biccies such as digestives or bourbons, with alpro chocolate dessert!

(If you fancy you could sneak some chopped nuts in there too!) Serve immediately!

Or make a proper chocolate pudding, using tofu (!) using this recipe by Chocolate covered Katie,using avocoado(!) using this recipe by The Simple Veganista or just good old fashioned chocolate using this recipe by Isa Moskowitz at The PPK

 

3. Kind of Lazy trifle!
Easy, a bit lazy!


Vegan trifle
I considered suggesting "use some left over vegan cake" for this trifle-but who has left over vegan cake?! (Certainly not me!) So instead I came up with a quick and easy "Microwave mug cake recipe!"  Alternatively you could also use some Riverbank Bakery loaf cake.


You will need: 
Vegan Jelly crystals
Vegan cake 
Vegan Custard  (I used Alpro vanilla dessert pots-alternatively if you prefer you could be more homely and make your own custard using Birds custard powder and soya milk).
Optional extras: Fruit, vegan whipped cream

1. Make veggie jelly according to packet instructions. (no boiled bones for us!) 
(I used this jellybut I added some more red food colouring, to make it look more appealing!)
Leave jelly to cool, then place it in the fridge to set for a few hours.

2, Make mug cake! (one quantity will make 3 or so single serving trifles).

3.Time to put everything together! I made a few mini desserts.  I just layered sponge, jelly, strawberries and custard and topped  with more chopped strawberries. But you can do what you like! Add some banana, add some booze, skip the fruit, use canned fruit-do what you fancy!
To make it extra special you could finish it off with some soya whipped cream, such as Soyatoo (amazingly tasty stuff-it's only down side being that it contains hydrogenated fat! Grr!) or make your own coconut cream! I didn't bother because I was just soooo lazy :)


4. Laziest cheesecake bites
 Easy peasy!


Vegan cheesecake bitesMix tofutti cream cheese with  a little sugar and vanilla to taste, and spoon on top of vegan digestive biscuits. To make a lazy raspberry topping mix fresh or defrosted frozen raspberries with a little sugar and dash of lemon juice. Spoon on top of cream cheese. Swap raspberries for blueberries for blueberry bites.
For lazy caramel pecan cheesecakes spoon on alpro caramel dessert, and top with chopped pecans! 
Serve immediately!
For a proper cheesecake recipe, see one here at vegan.baking.net 
For a raw cheesecake recipe, see one here by Allyson Kramer.


 5. Lazy fruit turn overs


Roll out shop bought puff pastry and cut into triangles. Bake in a preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Fill with apple sauce (either from jar or home made), tinned apple pie filling, or jam. To make them extra yummy accompany with vanilla vegan ice cream, whipped soya cream or vegan clotted cream!


Vegan apple turn over

6. Make it fancy... Make cream horns!  

You will need cream horn moulds (I got mine from TK Maxx). Wrap strips of pastry (1xm x 60cm) around the cream horn cones, brush with non dairy milk and bake for 10-15 mins at 200 C. Fill with jam or apple sauce, and whipped soya cream or dairy free ice cream!
Vegan cream horns


If you have any easy cheaty dessert ideas comment with them below :)