Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Crust:

· 2 cups finely crushed graham crackers

· 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt

· 10 tablespoons melted butter

Cream Cheese Filling:

· 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

· 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

· ½ cup dark brown sugar

· 1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

· ½ cup sour cream

· 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Apple Pie Filling:

· 6 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped

· ½ cup dark brown sugar

· 1 tablespoon lemon juice

· 1 teaspoon cinnamon

· ½ teaspoon ginger

· ¼ teaspoon cloves

· ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

· 2 tablespoons flour

· 2 tablespoons cold water

Salted Caramel Sauce

For the crust:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crushed graham crackers, salt and melted butter. Transfer crumbs to an 8 or 9-inch spring form pan and press crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the apple filling:

In a large saucepan, combine the apples, lemon juice, sugar and spices. Simmer over medium low heat until juicy and the apples have softened, about 30-40 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water to create a slurry. Add to the apple mixture and simmer for 5-10 more minutes until the juices have thickened. Cool completely in the refrigerator.

For the cream cheese filling:

Pour 1/4 cup heavy cream into microwave-safe measuring cup. Add gelatin and whisk to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; it will be thick and clumpy. Microwave on high for 30 seconds to completely dissolve the gelatin. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 1/4 cups heavy cream and brown sugar at medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and sour cream and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and thick with no lumps, about 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl down a few times.

Beat in the vanilla bean paste and gelatin mixture until smooth and combined, another 1-2 minutes. Spread half the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust. Spread the cooled apple filling over the cream cheese, then spread the remainder of the cream cheese filling over the apples. Smooth out the top. Drizzle with the Salted Caramel Sauce. Sprinkle with toffee bits, if you like.

Refrigerate for several hours before cutting and serving.

Yields 8-12 servings.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen