Blue Ribbon Apple Butter Cheesecake Bars Recipes

BLUE RIBBON APPLE BUTTER CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Grease a 9x13" baking pan or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, maple syrup and salt until lightened and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat or stir the flour into the butter mixture just until evenly incorporated.
• Firmly press the dough into the pan.
• Lay a sheet of wax paper over the dough, then press it out to the edges until flat and smooth on top. Peel off and discard the paper. Using a fork, prick the dough all over.
• Bake in the upper third of the oven for 17-21 minutes or until tinged with brown at the edges.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool briefly.
• Using a table knife, spread the apple butter evenly over the dough.
• CREAM CHEESE LAYER.
• In a food processor, process the cream, maple syrup, egg and vanilla until well blended and completely smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping and scraping down the bowl sides several times or beat in bowl of electric mixer on low speed, the cream cheese, until very smooth, add the maple syrup, egg and vanilla and continue beating until well blended.
• Pour the cream-cheese mixture over the apple butter, rap the pan or generously shake it to spread the cream cheese mixture out to the edges.
• Bake in upper third of oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cream cheese layer is beginning to brown and appears barely set when the pan is jiggled.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until cooled. Sift the cinnamon over the top.
• Refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 1 hour.
• Using a large sharp knife, cut the slab into 18 bars, wipe the knife clean between cuts.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month -- If freezing, leave slab whole, then cut into bars when partially thawed.

BLUE RIBBON APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Coat apple slices with lemon juice.
• Combine sugar, spices, flour, cornstarch and salt in a large zip-loc bag.
• Add apples and shake bag until thoroughly coated.
• Immediately, put coated apples into prepared pie crust.
• Dot with butter.
• Cover with top crust.
• Crimp edges to seal and cut vent holes into crust.
• Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

BLUE-RIBBON APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 9-inch cake pan.
• For the Apples: Place butter in large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter has stopped foaming, add sugar and stir to combine. Continue to cook until sugar turns dark brown (it should look like dark brown sugar), about 2 minutes, swirling pan occasionally. Add salt and apples and fold with spatula to combine. Cook, stirring often, until apples have softened slightly and juices are thickened and syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and spoon apples into prepared cake pan.
• For the Cake:.
• In small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sour cream, egg, yolk, and vanilla until well combined.
• Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Use electric mixer on low speed for 15 seconds to blend. Add butter and remaining 1/4 cup sour cream and mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add sour cream/egg mixture and beat on medium-high, scraping down sides of bowl, until batter is homogeneous and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Spoon batter over apples and gently spread out to thin layer that covers apples. Bake until cake is dark golden brown, feels set, and cake tester comes out clean when inserted in center, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Place serving plate over top of pan and invert. Let cake sit inverted for about 1 minute without tapping or shaking pan. Cake will slowly detach itself. Once cake is on platter, gently remove pan. Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature.

BLUE-RIBBON APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust even with rim., In a small bowl, mix walnut layer ingredients until blended. Spread onto bottom of crust. Refrigerate while preparing filling., For filling, in a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to apple mixture and toss to coat., Pour filling over walnut layer; dot with butter. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Brush top with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Cut slits in crust., Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake 55-65 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.