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
- Whip egg yolks and confectioners’ sugar to ribbon stage.
- Mix together the almond flour and baking powder and add to yolk mixture.
- Whip the egg whites and sugar to soft peaks.
- 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.
- Use #70 scoop to portion cookies and coat in 10X sugar.
- 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
- Combine all ingredients.
- 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%
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- Bloom gelatin in water.
- Heat half the cream with the sugar; add vanilla bean and allow to infuse. Strain and add drained gelatin.
- Mix with immersion blender and pour over the mascarpone cheese. Mix with blender again and then chill overnight.
- 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
- 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.
- Once cold, break into pieces and process to a powder. Reserve in container with desiccant.
- Peel and dice apple into small cubes. Place in a hotel pan and sprinkle the caramel powder on top.
- 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
- Bloom gelatin in cold water
- Melt drained gelatin in the warm apple cooking juice. Mix in the mirror glaze.
- 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
- Warm up 240 g of the apple cider.
- Mix together all the dry ingredients and add to the apple cider. Bring to boil.
- Chill and let the mixture set overnight in the refrigerator.
- 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%
- Heat the cream just until hot and pour over the chocolate. Mix with immersion blender until emulsified. Chill and blend again. Refrigerate overnight.
- Whip to soft peaks.
Assembly
- Chocolate Décor
- Pour the apple on top of the baked cheesecake in a thin and even layer. Allow to set for 3 to 4 hours.
- 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.