Labor Of Love: Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Oh my word, this cheesecake is amazing! Jay and I both agreed, it could be sold at a fancy restaurant somewhere. :) This recipe has many steps, but each step is very easy to make. Once everything is put together and you take your first bite, you'll see it is totally worth it! This is definitely the perfect Fall dessert if you want to "wow" your guests. I made mine for Jay's birthday last week. :)

FYI - I made this last year, but I have now perfected the recipe. I made a bit thicker of a crust, and doubled the cheesecake layer. Both were a little too thin before. Also, I simplified the top layer by just buying cool whip and caramel syrup topping. Who says everything has to be homemade?

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the layer of caramel:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar

For the layer of pecans:
1 cup chopped pecans

For the layer of apples:
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used 5 Large apples. I cut the apple into 8 equal parts. I removed the seeds and skin. Then I sliced each apple slice -length side, two more times.

For the cheesecake:
2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (I just used lemon juice from the bottle)

For the whipped cream and caramel topping:
8 oz. container of Lite cool whip
Pecan halves
Hershey's Classic Caramel Sundae Syrup

Directions:
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch round springform pan with parchment paper and trim the edges. 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 (I used a measuring cup to press it down evenly and bring it up on the sides). Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color (I baked mine for 7 minutes). Let cool for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

To make the caramel sauce, combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium and continue to boil until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes (mine took 12-15 minutes - be patient). I was still stirring while it was cooking during this time. Remove from heat and let cool a little.

Pour the homemade caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Make sure you pour it evenly because you can't spread it or your graham cracker crust will lift. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the apple filling.

To make the apple filling first slice and peel your apples. 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 uncovered 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.

Make sure your oven temperature is at 350 degrees now. 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 (my went over the crust and to the edges of the pan...it's okay). Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still be jiggly, but it should not be liquidy. :) 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. Spread cool whip gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Decorate with pecan halves or sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve. Drizzle with caramel...Enjoy!

A cinnamon graham cracker crust topped with homemade caramel and chopped pecans.