Apple Cheesecake

Apple season is upon us.  Henderson County NC used to be the #2 top apple producing county in the entire nation.  Since that lofty place in history has since past it has now become the top importer of northern folks and other spillover from all other places far and wide, but that does not change the fact that we still have some fine apples here.  I am by far not interested in the least in the apple festival as it has become a craft show for the crowd that proudly display the “keep Asheville weird” bumper stickers.  I am however interested in the apples as they ripen.  I go into apple crazy mode this time of year as most people get into the pumpkin spice mode. 

The Fruit

Apples have long been my favorite and I love to cook with them in every way I can come up with and am always experimenting with new things to make.  When it comes to baking I used to go all out and feel it was not worth doing if it was not all from scratch, but since have found that cake, and muffin and bread mixes really speed up the process and get that end result out just as I want it and in many cases in half the time. 

The Concoction

My favorite creation thus far this year has been an apple cheesecake.  I modified an apple bread mix by adding my own fresh made apple sauce.  I peel and chop up my apples into a small pot that I’ve just covered the bottom with water in.  I add in a tiny amount of white sugar, a small scoop of brown sugar, a splash of vanilla, and a few teaspoons of cinnamon.  I heat it until the apples start to fall apart, but I leave the pieces big enough to still have some texture and size.  I coat each 8x3” baking dish with vegetable shortening to prevent sticking.  I then pour in the batter mixture and bake it at whatever time the mix requires to finish.  I let it cool completely.  I then mix the cheesecake in the same fashion and let it cool its required time in the bowl I mixed it in. 

The Combination

When both components achieve the proper temperature, I pour the cheesecake mixture evenly split on top of each apple bread and then spoon the remaining apple sauce evenly over both dishes.  I place both of them into the refrigerator for a few hours and let the cheesecake completely set up.  The crust is full of apples, the cheesecake is topped with apples, and it’s been a tough one to beat.  I normally cook with some variety of golden delicious apples and have had the best luck with those.  Sometimes I will throw in a granny smith apple or two just because I love the tart flavor, and those work well also. 

The Finished Product

There are very few things left here at home that I can still enjoy.  (As my writing in my prelude to this recipe probably shows in its underlying tones.)   The Lord has chosen to let this land be overrun for some reason and hardly any of the old ways and any of the old appeal still remains.  I am not aware of his “why” but I do still love the apples, and each season I strive to start as early as I can with the early varieties and sometimes I can even still find hardy varieties still clinging to the trees in the winter.  He has chosen to place me back here until my children are raised and so I will do my dead level best to cling to the few things he has left in place still that are good and appealing about this area. 

Proverbs 25:11