A Taste of Bavaria!

This little, seemingly plain dessert pleased me beyond reasonable writing. However, in a few words, here is what I personally loved about it.

1. It utilizes the apple- the perfect Autumnal fruit, and if you have apple trees, well, I'm sure you're starting to pick off more than you can eat.

2. It uses all basic baking ingredients...

3...making it an inexpensive and practical dessert

4. Your kitchen smells like a churro while baking it

5. It is so dang guoodddd

The filling of cream cheese, sugar and egg can't be beat- it fluffs up into this creamy and rich center for the baked apples to rest on. Throw some cinnamon-spiked whipped cream on top and it's a done deal.

Here's what lovely, elegant, inexpensive, simple, and quick tastes like:

Bavarian Apple Tort

{Parley's Palette Ward Cookbook 2009}

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

Filling:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used a little bit more)

3-4 cups thinly sliced apple (tart apples are best)

1/4-1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup whipping cream (sweetened with vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar)

Make the crust:

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Blend in flour. Spread onto the bottom and 1" up the side of a springform pan.

Make the filling:

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the crust.

Arrange sliced apples over the filling. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle all over the apples. Now sprinkle the slivered almonds all over.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and bake an additional 25-35 minutes, or until the center is just barely set (i.e. doesn't really "jiggle" when it's gently shook). Serve with whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.