desserts

The build up of anxiety over the last several months have been nothing but anxiety inducing. My anxiety baking has taken on a personality of its own, with its greatest feat being these Salted Caramel Crumble Cheesecakes. The recipe itself is of moderate difficulty. The cheesecake combines traditional baking and candy-making. But it’s not overly difficult!

Why have I been anxiety baking?

First, I need to vent about something. I’ve watched countless friends and acquaintances share their photos of parties and get togethers on social media. And it’s exhausting. For those of us who have stayed on the sidelines, distancing, taking every possible precaution? We’re utterly spent and emotionally drained.

I desperately want to see my friends and family. And I long for the days of going out for a drink or a cup of coffee. But the reality is that we are living in a pandemic. And those times should look very different than ‘normal’ life. And, for me and many others, it has. But that doesn’t change the fact that here in the United States, we cannot seem to get our Covid cases under control. The complete distrust in health officials and partisan politics have led us into a horrible place.

What our family life has looked like lately

For those who aren’t familiar with our day-to-day in this house, we have gone very few places since March. When schools shut down, I decided to do everything in my power to help flatten the curve. My kids and I spend most of our time doing arts and crafts, watching movies, playing games, cooking, baking, and playing in the yard. There have been no playdates. There have been no outdoor dinners. And they have only seen the inside of a store once (Target, with my two littlest in a wagon and my oldest walking beside me as I picked up a couple of ‘musts’).

So, for now, my reality looks like this: Expect a lot more anxiety baking. You can also expect to see us transitioning to full-time distance learning (perhaps even full-on homeschooling). We will continue to do our best to avoid being a statistic — for ours and your health.

But now, Salted Caramel Crumble Cheesecake!

My anxiety is your reward, friends! Here are my ‘tips’ for this delectable dessert: Instead of making your own caramel sauce, grab this one from Amazon.

Salted Caramel Crumble Cheesecake

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Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• ¾ Cup of graham cracker crumbs
• 1 ½ tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 2 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup of sugar
• ½ cup of sour cream
• ¾ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon of salted caramel sauce

Crumble Topping Ingredients

• ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
• ½ cup of unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ¼ cup of flour
• Salted caramel sauce for drizzle

Instructions

For the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Using a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon, scoop the crust into the cupcake liners.
4. Using a flat bottomed round cup, press the cup into the crust to make a firm crust.
5. Set aside.
   

For the cheesecake:

1. Using a hand mixer, beat together the sugar and cream cheese until combined and smooth.
2. Beat in the sour cream, salted caramel sauce, vanilla and salt until combined.
3. Beat in 1 egg at a time until combined.
4. Scoop 2 ½  tbsp of the cheesecake mixture into the crust.
5. Bake in the oven for 17-22 minutes or until the edges are firm and a really light golden brown starts to form.
6. Allow the cheesecakes to cool for a few hours in the fridge.
   

For the topping:

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl.
2. Using your fingers, mix ingredients together until combined and crumble like topping the cupcake.
3. Top the cheesecake with the crumble.
4. Drizzle the caramel sauce on top.
5. Enjoy!
   

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