Welcome to Happylifeblogspot! A food blog with drool worthy recipes
When Fall rolls around everyone has their favorite local spot to buy Apple Cider Donuts, but my new favorite this year might just be homemade. Nothing beats the taste of a hot, fresh Apple Cider Donut right out of the frying pan. There’s something about […]
We are smack dab in the middle of Fall and I am absolutely loving it. Give me all the Fall things!!! I want the leaves, and the weather, and the sweaters, and the baking of all things pumpkin of course. Our Pumpkin Scones will give […]
Happy Fall Y’all! I wanted to share this quick and easy Rustic Apple Tart with you before you get bombarded with all things pumpkin (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But this one’s gonna be for team apple. The delicious little Fall dessert starts with a homemade buttery crust, is piled high with loads of fresh apples, and then finished to perfection with a sweet and gooey caramel drizzle. I know what you’re thinking…homemade crust…but you said this was gonna be easy!?! Don’t worry, I’ll walk ya through it step by step and you know what else? I bet you already have most of these ingredients on hand in your kitchen. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get baking!!
Here’s all you’ll need: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract, apples, cinnamon, an egg and caramel ice cream topping.
Let’s just get that tart crust out of the way because really that’s the most work you’ll have to put into this totally worth it apple tart. Combine 2/3 cup flour, 1 Tablespoon of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Cube the butter and add it to the bowl. Using a pastry blender, a butter knife or a fork, cut the butter until it’s crumbly. 
Next we’ll gradually add in the water and vanilla. Mix in 6-1/2 teaspoons of cold water as well as 1/8 of a teaspoon of vanilla, a little at a time. Full disclosure, I start the mixing process with a fork but always end with my favorite kitchen tool…..my bare hands. Knead into a ball until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Lightly flour your work area. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 14 inch circle or a shape closely resembling a circle. This apple tart has “rustic” in it’s name so there’s no need for perfection. I’m so proud that you conquered that pie crust like the boss that you are!! But….if you’re short on time, or just plain can’t get the hang of it, I won’t be mad if you need to swap in for store bought. All roads lead to one delish dessert.
Now it’s time to prep those yummy apples! We used Granny Smith’s for this recipe but you can swap out for your favorite flavorful apple. I’m dying to go apple picking this year btw. Have you been yet? Peel and core the apples then cut them into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices. Top with 3 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of flour and toss to coat. Pie fillings done. See, told ya this would be easy!
Transfer the crust to a sheet of…you guessed it…PARCHMENT PAPER!!!! If you follow my blog then you know I preach about this stuff. It really does make baking SO much easier and yields tremendous results. Top with the apple filling and load this baby onto a baking sheet. Be sure to leave about an inch or two around the edges because that’s gonna be our crust.
Fold the crust over the edges of the apple tart. There really is no method to this madness, you just have to go for it. Pick a place to start and begin folding. Again don’t worry if it’s not picture perfect. I promise the taste will make up for it! Combine 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the apple filling. Mmm…This is gonna be SO good!! Then whisk together the egg and 1 Tablespoon of water to form an egg wash and brush it over the tart crust.
Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Remove to a wire rack to cool and then finish this baby off with a drizzle of your favorite caramel! Serve warm, or cold, or with a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!!! I know I will. Looking for more apple recipe to get ya through Fall? Try our Apple Hand Pies or our Over the Top Apple Pie Cheesecake next.
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I love cooking and baking with whatever local produce is in season for a few reasons. It supports our local farmers, it’s usually a whole lot cheaper (who doesn’t love saving money), but most importantly, fresh food just tastes better. It really does. And since […]
T-minus one week until Halloween!!! You know what the two best parts of Halloween are???…….the chocolate and the pumpkins!!! Obvi. So why not combine the two?!? This next recipe does just that. Now typically I love ANY and EVERY pumpkin recipe, but the addition of […]
I am SO ready to get my Fall on! Cool weather, pumpkin spice everything, and apple cider……sign me up!! Only the first day of Fall has come and gone and we are still waiting on that chilly weather here in Buffalo. Now normally us Buffalonians wouldn’t dare complain about nice weather because we all know that blizzard season is right around the corner, but I’m talking about 90…degree….days….in…September!!! Now that’s just not right! C’mon summer just end already and make room for Fall. I totally wanted to go apple picking this year, but like in Fall weather, not in a heatwave! So I wimped out and just bought some instead….BUT….they were from a legit farm so I’m counting it (somebody picked them just not me!)
Everyone knows that if you want THE best apple cider in Western NY, you’ll need to head to Cherry Bank Farms in Sanborn! So of course they were the obvious choice for apples as well. They have the cutest little country store where you can purchase all sorts of baked goods, freshly picked apples, local honey, maple syrup and all sorts of other goodies. It’s cash only so make sure you stop at the ATM.
My top picks are the cookies….all of them! These are homemade chocolate chips and were filled with huge chocolate chunks inside!! SO yummy!! And of course you HAVE to take home some cider. Now that’s just a given. If you are ever lucky enough to be there on a day when they have grape juice just buy it all! No for real.
The farm fresh goodies are fabulous enough on their own, but we decided to take them up a notch and bake them into this spectacular apple pie cheesecake! Mission accomplished!
Here’s all that you’ll need; apples, cream cheese, pecans, sugar, eggs, butter, lemon juice, graham crackers, cinnamon, vanilla, whipped cream and caramel ice cream topping.
Add the graham crackers to a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. I used about 9-10 whole graham crackers to get one cup of crumbs. Set aside.
Now do the same thing with the pecans. Chop them up into nice little pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons of white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir it all together until well combined.
Next pour in the butter. Mmmm!!! Butter!
Stir until all of the butter is combined evenly into the crumb mixture.
Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. Springforms work best for cheesecake because when it’s done baking, you can just remove the sides. Best invention ever! Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degrees preheated oven. Remove pan from oven and cool until we’re finished with the filling.
Add cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar to a large bowl. Mix with a hand blender until smooth.
Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on a low speed until incorporated. This will make our apple pie cheesecake so creamy! Mix in the vanilla extract.
Here’s what your graham cracker crust will look like when it’s done baking. This crust is EVERYTHING!! It really is the perfect cheesecake crust.
Pour cream cheese mixture over top of the crust.
In a medium bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Toss the apple mixture to combine. Go ahead and try one of those cinnamon sugary apples! Someone’s gotta be in charge of quality control!
Carefully spoon the apples over the cheesecake filling. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes or until the middle is almost set. I tend to go on the longer side for cheesecakes just to make sure they’re nice and firm all the way through. Once the timer goes off, I turn off the oven, leave the cheesecake inside and just crack open the oven door slightly. If you allow the cheesecake to cool slowly like this, it helps to prevent cracks down the middle. Over The Top Apple Pie Cheesecake is a very forgiving recipe though, since the top is smothered in apples!
Run a knife around the edges and remove from springform pan. Allow it to cool completely before you try cutting into it. I know, it’s hard, but you gotta try! Those perfectly cut cheesecake slices will thank you later.
It looks SO good already but wait, there’s more! Add some caramel drizzle, a few crushed pecans, and a dollop of whipped cream and I promise you won’t regret it!!! I can’t think of a better way to use up some of those Fall apples!!! It’s definitely a favorite in our family! Got lots of freshly picked apples to use? Try our your hand at our Apple Hand Pies!
We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!
Shop this recipe!
Hi There! I’m Lisa. I’m a lover of all things crafty, creative, DIY, and delicious!!! Oh yeah and puppies too! I love cooking and baking for my friends and family but especially WITH my friends and family. I show my greatest affection through food. If I cook or bake for you, it means I really like you!
