Here’s my favourite update of a classic apple pie.
I know the cream cheese filling sounds a bit strange, but trust me … it’s delicious!
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 medium (4 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Few teaspoons of apricot jam
Heat oven to 375°F. Combine all crust ingredients in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until dough leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball. Press onto bottom of 10-inch springform pan.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cream cheese, eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla in same small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Spread mixture over crust.
Place apples in large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom; toss to coat. Arrange apples in concentric circles over filling, pressing narrow end of apple slices into cream cheese mixture.
Bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and a thin glaze of apricot jam; continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Remove rim from spring form pan. Cut into wedges. Store refrigerated.
Text: Lydia Parafianowicz