Cream Cheese Smoked Bacon Apple Dip

Freeze your favorite dip in your favorite mold and create a centerpiece! 
Best if dip is thick (use cream cheese). 

The recipe for this is a combination of the Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Dip recipe (below the pumpkin cheese cake post) . . . it is an example of how to turn an accident into something savory!

I over-baked the recipe below (forgot to set the alarm) and it ended up with a burnt crust all around it.  So, because I needed it for Thanksgiving, I scraped out the inside (which was not burnt and tasted delicious, but strong) and added it to 16 oz. of softened cream cheese in my mixer.  I whipped it together and then scooped it into my Flexipan Tray.

I froze the cream cheese mixture in the Charlotte Tray (one of my favorites!); once they were frozen, I popped them out and re-wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them back in the freezer; now I have eight appetizers ready for the holiday season!

Thaw on counter (in serving dish) for at least an hour before serving . . .

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

6 tablespoons melted butter

16 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

16 oz can solid pack pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 pint sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix crumbs with the 1 tablespoon sugar and melted butter until well blended.  Place Tart Mold or Large Round Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet.  Press crumbs into the bottom of the mold: chill.

Beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar until blended.  Beat in pumpkin, spices, salt and eggs, one at a time.  Pour into mold and bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.  Remove cake from oven and let cool.  Mix sour cream, brown sugar and the vanilla together: spread over cooled pumpkin layer.  Chill before removing from mold and keep chilled before serving.  (I like to put mine in the freezer before unmolding . . .)


For the sprinkles on the top, I used 1/2 Tbsp. of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp. of Brown Sugar - mix and sprinkle.

Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecake

Contributed by Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Via Bonnie Lowry

Yield: 10-12 Servings
Cook Time: 8-9 Hours

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 pound bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (reserve 2 tablespoons of fat)
1/2 onion, diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Demarle at Home in the Kitchen Sea Salt –Sel Gris (GTS00001), to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
16 ounces (2 large blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs
1/2 tablespoon Demarle at Home in the Kitchen Apple Pear Balsamic Vinegar (LOC00005)
1/8 cup whiskey
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon minced chives or Demarle at Home in the Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Chive Herb Blend (DHM00004)
Sliced fresh apples, toast wedges and/or assorted cocktail crackers

TOOLS:
Flexipan® Fluted Bundt Mold (FM000486)
Medium Perforated Baking Sheet (MA435310)
Demarle Difference Gourmet Fry Pan- 10” (DD902832)
Mixing Bowl (TA000120)
Demarle Difference Santoku Chef’s Knife (DD800001)
Heat Resistant Spatula (TA000108)
Magnetic Dazzling Trio (GRP00001)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and place oven rack in center position. Place the Bundt Mold on the Perforated Baking Sheet. Dust mold with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.**

In Fry Pan sauté onion in bacon fat until softened and translucent. Add apple and garlic and continue to sauté over medium heat an additional 2 to 3 minutes until apple begin to soften. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

In Mixing Bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, Balsamic Vinegar and whiskey, beating until smooth. Stir in apple mixture, bacon, blue cheese, remaining Parmesan cheese and chives or Chive Herb Blend by hand.

Pour batter into mold and bake overnight for 8-9 hours. It should be fairly firm and slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a rack at least one hour. Cover the top of the cooled cheesecake with plastic wrap.

Invert onto serving dish. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Reinvert and remove the plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
To serve as an appetizer, cut slices with a knife dipped in warm water and garnish with fresh apple slices, toast wedges, baguette and/or cocktail crackers of choice.

** Per Bonnie Lowry, to help Parmesan cheese stick to the sides of the Mold, coat with vegetable oil before dusting with Parmesan cheese.

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (1 package - crushed)
1 Tbsp. Cocoa
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 cup salted butter, melted

FILLING:
1 1/4 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs

TOPPING (Chocolate Ganache):
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

GARNISH:
1/4 cup shaved chocolate

(Pictured with Raspberry topping above.)

For Crust:
Mix all crust ingredients. Place Flexipan Mold of choice on Perforated Baking Sheet and press crumbs into all corners and evenly on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

For Filling:
Use Demarle Difference Petite Sauce Pan to melt chocolate chips at a low temp until smooth. Set aside. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in mixer until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top. Bake at 350 until center is set and appears a little dry - approx. 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes on counter. Chill overnight. Peel down the side of the Flexipan to transfer to a serving dish. (no need for a bath!)

For Ganache Topping:
Bring cream to a full boil in our Demarle Difference Petite Sauce Pan (no need to stir) and remove from heat. Pour in chips and pause for three seconds; then Whisk together until it is a smooth sauce. Let cool until warm, but still pourable. Pour and smooth on top of cake. Add garnish.

Bon Appetit!