Caramel Apple Cheesecake

This isn't so much a recipe as it is an extrapolation of a recipe. Cheesecake is a very flexible dessert, lending itself very well to additions of other flavors, while being perfect delicious on it's own. I blogged the cheesecake filling earlier this year, so start there...

Once you have the crust started - and you can use any kind of crumbly cookie here, I did graham crackers this time but vanilla wafers work well too. You could probably do it with sugar cookies (unfrosted), snickerdoodles, or gingersnaps. Oooh... gingersnaps with the apples. Must make a note of that idea. Get the crust in to blind bake at 350 for ten minutes.

And then grab 3-4 large apples. I used Granny Smith but they hold their texture and are chewy in this recipe, I'm going to try it again with a softer apple. Not soon, mind you! Core them and slice them thinly. I used my food processor's slicing blade for this, which made it really fast and easy. 

Put the apples in a hot cast iron skillet along with butter and brown sugar, I used about a quarter cup of each. Stir and fry on medium heat until the apples are caramelly and soft. I was doing other things while this was going on, just giving them a stir every so often, so I think it took about ten minutes. I kept the heat fairly moderate to prevent them burning or sticking.

Once the apples are ready, simply pour them into the pan on top of the baked crust and level them out a bit. I think when I do this again I may try adding more apple - but then I will have to scale back the filling because my 10" springform was tip-top full and won't take any more. The First Reader suggested a larger pan. I haven't got a larger pan. And we don't need a larger cheesecake in the house!

Pour the cheesecake filling in on top of the apples and bake in a water bath for 2 hours at 250 deg F. To set up the water bath I use a large jelly-roll pan with a shallow lip, and I set the springform on it on the oven rack, then pour enough hot water into the shallow pan to cover the lip of the springform. Usually about 3-4 cups of water. Slide it carefully into the oven, close the door, and leave it alone...

Beautiful Cheesecake

The thin layer of apples adds a subtle flavor and a hint of tartness to offset the rich creaminess of the cheesecake.

I'd like more apple, but I don't want to give up that towering layer of creamy deliciousness!