For this challenge I decided to make an apple cheesecake pie, which was a perfect way to celebrate the end of fall and use up some of the local apples in my refrigerator. I enjoyed the pie, which tasted like a cross between apple crumble pie and cheesecake, and will definitely make it again with different fruit combinations.
Apple Cheesecake Crumble Pie
Makes one 9-inch deep dish pie
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, diced
Pie Filling
16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into thin slices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumble Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
1. Prepare crust: Place flour and salt in a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add butter and vegetable shortening, and pulse until mixture appears coarse and butter is pea-sized. Add about 3 tablespoons of ice-cold water, and pulse mixture until dough comes together. Add water, one teaspoon at a time, if needed. Once dough comes together, form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Prepare cheesecake filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Slowly beat in the sugar and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in lemon zest and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Beat in heavy cream. Fold in the apple slices and cinnamon.
3. Make crumble topping: In a medium-sized bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Use hands to crumble in the butter, until it forms a coarse mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 425 F. Remove pie dough from refrigerator, and roll out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Carefully transfer dough to 9-inch deep dish pie dish. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Fill crust with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 9 minutes. Remove weights or beans and bake for an additional 3 minutes, until slightly browned. Remove crust from oven.
5. Increase oven temperature to 475 F. Pour the cheesecake filling into pre-baked pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 475 F. Remove from oven and cover with crumble topping.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 200 F. Return pie to oven, and continue baking for 1 hour. After one hour, turn off oven and leave oven door cracked open. Allow pie to cool in oven.
7. Refrigerate pie for at least 6 hours before serving.
-Adapted from recipe available at http://www.thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/cheesecake-crumble-pie
-Posted by Jennifer
