Granny Smith Apple Cheesecake by Rabii Saber

In my Granny Smith Apple Cheesecake, I top a creamy rectangle of white chocolate cheesecake with caramelized apples “Façon Tatin” and dollops of mascarpone cream and serve it with Apple Cider Sorbet and a sea salt caramel sauce.

Yield: 24 servings

Amaretti Cookies

• 100 g egg yolks
• 100 g confectioners’ sugar (10X),
• plus more for coating cookies
• 500 g almond flour
• 5 g baking powder
• 125 g egg whites
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 8 g almond extract

1. Whip egg yolks and confectioners’ sugar to ribbon stage.
2. Mix together the almond flour and baking powder and add to yolk mixture.
3. Whip the egg whites and sugar to soft peaks.
4. Fold 1/3 of the whites into almond mixture to loosen. Fold in remaining whites and almond extract just until combined. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
5. Use #70 scoop to portion cookies and coat in 10X sugar.
6. Bake at 325˚F for 15 minutes (the cookies should not color at all). Cool down and break into small crumbs.

Crust

• 200 g ground Amaretti Cookies
• 200 g sliced almonds, toasted
• 109 g unsalted butter, melted

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Press into lined 1/2 sheet trays with ¾ frame.

White Chocolate Cheesecake Base

• 660 g cream cheese
• 88 g granulated sugar
• 22 g cornstarch
• 88 g eggs
• 77 g egg yolks
• 5 g vanilla extract
• 132 g sour cream
• 196 g heavy cream
• 220 g Valrhona Opalys 33%

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth; add sugar and cornstarch and mix until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and sour cream. Scrape down sides of bowl again.
2. Heat cream and pour over chocolate to melt. Mix to make smooth ganache. Add ganache to cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth, light and airy.
3. Pour mixture on top of the crust. Bake at 265˚F for 35-40 minutes. Chill in cooler until needed.

Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

• 700 g granulated sugar
• 500 g glucose
• 6 g salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 800 g heavy cream, warm
• 400 g unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Make a dry caramel with the sugar, cooking to amber color. Slowly add the glucose, salt and vanilla bean. Add warm cream and cook to 217˚F. Cool to between 95˚and 104˚F.
2. Add butter and emulsify with immersion blender.

Mascarpone Cream

• 2 gelatin sheets
• 300 g heavy cream
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 200 g mascarpone cheese

1. Bloom gelatin in water.
2. Heat half the cream with the sugar; add vanilla bean and allow to infuse. Strain and add drained gelatin.
3. Mix with immersion blender and pour over the mascarpone cheese. Mix with blender again and then chill overnight.
4. The next day, whip to soft peaks and pipe into sphere or desired molds. Blast-freeze and reserve in the freezer until needed.

Caramelized Apple ‘Tatin Style’

• 355 g granulated sugar, divided
• 42 g water
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 35 g granulated sugar
• 1200 g Granny Smith apples
• 26 g pectin

1. Make a dry caramel with 320 g of the sugar and deglaze with the water and butter. Pour onto a Silpat and allow to cool.
2. Once cold, break into pieces and process to a powder. Reserve in container with desiccant.
3. Peel and dice apple into small cubes. Place in a hotel pan and sprinkle the caramel powder on top.
4. Combine the remaining 35 g sugar with pectin and pour over the apples. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325˚F for 25-30 minutes. Chill immediately, then strain and reserve the cooking juice for the Glaze Gelée.

Glaze Gelée

• 75 g gelatin sheets
• 100 g cooking juice (from above), warm
• 400 g cold mirror glaze

1. Bloom gelatin in cold water
2. Melt drained gelatin in the warm apple cooking juice. Mix in the mirror glaze.
3. Fold in the cold cooked apples.

Apple Cider Sorbet

• 1040 g apple cider, divided
• 185 g granulated sugar
• 100 g glucose powder
• 10 g sorbet stabilizer
• 200 g green apple puree

1. Warm up 240 g of the apple cider.
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients and add to the apple cider. Bring to boil.
3. Chill and let the mixture set overnight in the refrigerator.
4. Add the remaining 800 g apple cider and the apple puree. Spin in ice cream machine or proceed with Pacojet method.

Milk Chocolate Chantilly

• 650 g heavy cream
• 360 g Valrhona Bahibe 46%

1. Heat the cream just until hot and pour over the chocolate. Mix with immersion blender until emulsified. Chill and blend again. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Whip to soft peaks.

Assembly

• Chocolate Décor

1. Pour the apple on top of the baked cheesecake in a thin and even layer. Allow to set for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Cut into 1-inch x 4-inch rectangles or any desired shape. Garnish with the Mascarpone Cream, Milk Chocolate Chantilly and chocolate décor. Plate with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and the Apple Cider Sorbet.