Gluten Free Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

• 1 box gluten free yellow cake mix

• 1/2 cup cold butter

• 2 packages softened cream cheese (8 oz each)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tsp gluten free vanilla

• 1 egg

• 1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.

2. Place cake mix in large bowl. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly and coarse. Save 1 cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. In large bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg with electric mixer until smooth.

4. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked crust. In medium bowl, mix pie filling and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Sprinkle with walnuts.

5. Bake 35-40 more minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate to chill for 2 hours. Cut into desired size bars. Store covered in refrigerator.

Grandma's Perfect Apple Pie

Flaky Pie Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2/3 cup butter flavored shortening

• 5 to 10 tbsps. ice-cold water or milk

Directions

• COMBINE flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

• SPRINKLE one tablespoon of ice-cold water or milk over part of the mixture. Toss gently with a fork; push to the side of the bowl. Repeat just until mixture is moistened and can be formed into a ball. (The dough should hold together when picked up and pressed, and should not crack).

• FLATTEN ball of dough into disks. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.

• REMOVE one disk of dough from the refrigerator. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface. (If the dough is too hard, allow it to sit for 5 minutes to soften.) Roll dough gently, use a back and forth motion from the center. Do not roll over the edge or it will be thin. Turn dough 45 degrees between each roll to keep it around. If the dough sticks to the surface, dust lightly with flour. Roll to 12 inches in diameter for a 9-inch pie.

• TRANSFER dough to pie plate, being careful to avoid stretching pastry. Trim edge of pastry 1/2 to 3/4 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate.

• Fold extra pastry under to build up the edge. Flute edge by using the forefinger of one hand and pinching the dough next to it between your forefinger and thumb of the other hand. Continue around the pie.

• COVER and refrigerate 30 minutes to overnight before baking unless otherwise specified in the recipe.

• BAKE according to directions for the pie recipe.

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup firm butter

Mix flour, sugar, and butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle apple filling with crumb topping.

Double Apple Pie

• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples

• 2 pounds Braeburn apples

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 4 tablespoons apple jelly

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• ⅓ cup of sugar

Instructions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and core apples; cut into wedges. Place apples in a large bowl. Stir in the next 7 ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.

• Step 2

  Stir apple mixture. Spoon apples into crust, packing tightly and mounding in the center. Pour remaining juices in the bowl over apples.

• Step 3

  Bake at 425° on lower oven rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°; transfer the pie to middle oven rack, and bake 35 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake 30 more minutes or until juices are thick and bubbly, the topping is golden brown, and apples are tender when pierced with a long wooden pick through slits in crust. Remove to a wire rack. Cool 1 1/2 to 2 hours before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.