Another show stopper from Annie's Eats, my favorite food blog. I submitted this in my office's "apple recipe" competition and won. Everyone thought it was to die for. It better be because it was a lot of work and it is an expensive recipe! My notes say: make more crust (1 and a half times), more cheesecake filling (1 and a half), and less nuts (half); I left the original recipe intact below.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake PieServes: 16
Approx. 410 calories per serving
CRUST
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- ½-¾ cup caramel
- 1 cup chopped pecans
APPLE FILLING
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
TOPPING
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3-4 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
- ¼-½ cup caramel
- Chopped pecans
To make
the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round
springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine
the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a
fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly
mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the
crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to
two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes,
until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of
caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the
chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.
To
make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium
heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute,
until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over
medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been
reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into
the prepared pie shell. Set aside.
Reduce
the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine
the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on
medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and
lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the
cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples
in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out
clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack
and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
To
serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of
an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy
cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks
form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the
chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl
with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of
chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.
