Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake

Total Time: 8 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 30 gingersnaps (or a 2 cups graham cracker crumbs)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large golden delicious apples or 3 large fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• apple jelly, for glazing (optional)
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Recipe

• 1 to make the crust:
• 2 butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
• 3 put the gingersnaps in a food processor and whir until you have crumbs; you should have a scant 2 cups.
• 4 pulse in the sugar and cinnamon, if you're using it, then pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.
• 5 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.
• 6 put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven. (the crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.).
• 7 center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 8 remove the pan from the freezer and wrap the bottom tightly in aluminum foil, going up the sides.
• 9 place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is set and lightly browned.
• 10 transfer to a rack to cool while you make the apples and the filling.
• 11 leave the oven at 350 degrees f.
• 12 to make the apples:
• 13 melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• 14 when the foam subsides, toss in half of the apple slices and cook, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• 15 sprinkle the apples with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and cook them, turning, just until coated, another minute or so.
• 16 scrape the apples onto a plate, wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining apples.
• 17 let the apples cool while you make the filling.
• 18 getting ready to bake:.
• 19 have a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform pan at hand. put a kettle of water on to boil.
• 20 to make the filling:
• 21 working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often, for about 4 minutes, or until it is velvety smooth.
• 22 add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes.
• 23 beat in the cider, vanilla, and cinnamon.
• 24 reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes inches
• 25 finally, beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, beating just until the batter is smooth.
• 26 pour about one third of the batter into the baked crust.
• 27 drain the apples by lifting them off the plate with a slotted spoon or spatula, and spoon them into the pan.
• 28 cover with the remaining batter and, if needed, jiggle the pan to even the top.
• 29 place the springform pan in the roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• 30 bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 to 45 minutes, covering the cake loosely with a foil tent at the 45-minute mark.
• 31 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's just fine.
• 32 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.
• 33 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.
• 34 if desired, melt a small amount of apple jelly in the microwave and glaze the cake, or dust with confectioner's sugar.