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Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake

Description Recipe

This is a deceivingly wonderful cheesecake. Pairing the apples with the cream cheese is an absolutely brilliant idea. Don't be put off if you can't imagine the combination, it is excellent.

Yield: 8-10 servings

For the Crust:
scant 2 cups graham crackers
2
tablespoons light brown sugar
½
teaspoon ground cinnamon
½
stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
For the Apples:
½
stick (4 tablespoons) butter
3
large apples, cored and cut into eighths
2
tablespoons packed brown sugar
For the Filling:
1 ½
pounds (three 8 ounce packages) cream cheese at room temperature
¾
cup packed brown sugar
6
tablespoons sugar
3
tablespoons apple cider
2
teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2
teaspoons ground cinnamon
3
large eggs at room temperature
¾
cup sour cream
⅓
cup heavy cream
Apple jelly, for glazing, or confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Put the graham crackers in a food processor and whir until you have crumbs; you should have a scant 2 cups. (this is one package of graham crackers) Pulse the sugar and cinnamon then pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Turn the crumbs into the springform pan and using your fingertips firmly press them evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan as far as they’ll go. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Remove the pan from the freezer and wrap the bottom tightly in aluminum foil, going up the sides. (you really must do this step, your springform pan does not form a complete seal and it will be a huge mess, the water from the water bath will seep into the pan, don’t ask me how I know this). Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool while you make the apples and filling. Leave the oven at 350 degrees.

TO MAKE THE APPLES:

I didn’t follow the directions here, this is what I did and trust me, it was way easier and I doubt it changed the outcome of the cheesecake. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides add the apples and sugar and saute the apples until they are soft and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

GETTING READY TO BAKE:

Have a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform pan at hand. Put a kettle of water on to boil.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often, until velvety smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in the cider, vanilla and cinnamon. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg. Finally, beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, beating just until the batter is smooth.

Pour about one third of the batter into the baked crust. Drain the apples and spread over the batter.
Trying to keep it even as possible. Pour in the remaining batter, jiggle the pan to even the batter.

Place the pan in the roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30–45 minutes. Cover the cake loosely with a foil tent at the 45 minute mark. The cake will rise evenly and crack around the edges, and it should be fully set except, possibly in the very center, if the center shimmies, that is fine. Gently transfer the cake, still in the pan to a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours, overnight would be better.

Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the crust, open the pan’s latch and release and remove the sides.