Dutch Apple Cheesecake

When it comes to Thanksgiving, ordinarily, I'm a pie person. And I love the unadulterated classics - apple, pumpkin, pecan. But my dinner guests don't love pie quite as much as I do. In fact, they'd prefer cheesecake. So this year, I decided to break my traditional mold and swap the apple pie for this Dutch Apple Cheesecake!

The cheesecake is sweetened with brown sugar and vanilla bean giving it a delicious caramel-like flavor. It's topped with lots of tart granny smith apples and crispy, sweet crumbs. All the traditional elements of a Dutch Apple Pie, just layered up on top of a cheesecake. And if that wasn't enough, I like to serve it alongside an apple-y caramel sauce.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve for keeping the cheesecake wonderfully creamy and crack-free! And it starts with room-temperature ingredients. A couple hours before baking, pull your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs out of the fridge. Let them come to room-temp before you even think about whipping up the filling. I've also found blending the filling in a food processor instead of a standmixer yields a silky smooth batter - no lumps of cream cheese here! And finally, be sure and add those eggs one at a time so they can incorporate evenly into the filling.

To avoid those nasty cracks, take care in baking and cooling your cheesecake. Yes, it takes time, but it's relatively easy! Always use a water bath for gentle and even baking. Once your cake is cooked, turn your oven off and prop the door open. Allow the cheesecake to hang out for about a half hour or so. Then sit your cheesecake up on the counter to cool to room temperature. Once at room-temperature, you can finally stash your cheesecake in the fridge to chill until you're ready to serve!

You can use these same tricks with other cheesecakes and custard pies!

What's hitting your dessert table this Thanksgiving?

Dutch Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust

· 8 graham cracker sheets

· ½ cup walnuts

· 2 tbsp brown sugar

· 5 tbsp butter, melted

For the crumb topping

· ¾ cup flour

· ¼ cup brown sugar

· ½ tsp cinnamon

· Pinch of salt

· 4 tbsp butter, chilled and diced

· 1-2 tbsp water

· 1 large granny smith apple, peeled and diced

For the filling

· 3 8oz blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature

· ½ cup sugar

· ½ cup brown sugar

· ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

· 4 eggs, at room temperature

· 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· ½ tsp salt

For the caramel

· ¾ cup sugar

· 2 tbsp apple cider

· 1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temp

· Pinch of salt

· 3 tbsp apple brandy

· ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust… in the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers and walnuts. Pulse until the crackers and nuts resemble fine crumbs. Mix in the brown sugar. Once combined, stream in the melted butter on low speed. Pulse until all the crumbs are moistened.

Grease a 9in springform pan with cooking spray. Pour the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Using a small measuring cup or drinking glass, press the crumbs into the pan to form an even crust. Bring the crumbs about 1 inch up the sides of the pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the crumb topping… combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter resembles coarse crumbs. Add a splash or two of water at a time until the crumbs are just moist enough to form loose clumps. Set aside.

For the filling… combine the cream cheese and sugars in the bowl of a food processor until completely smooth. Add the sour cream and puree until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, pureeing after each addition. One the filling is fully mixed, stir in the vanilla paste, vanilla extract and salt.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Sprinkle the diced apples over the top of the cheesecake. Using your fingers gather the crumb mixture into larger clumps and scatter over the apples.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for about 60 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle in the middle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Turn off the heat, open the oven door and allow the cheesecake to cool in the roasting pan for 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from roasting pan and cool on the counter until room temperature – roughly an hour or two. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours.

For the caramel… pour sugar and apple cider into a small saucepot. Bring to a boil over high heat and do not stir. Swirl the pot occasionally and continue to cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the sugar is a light amber color. Slowly whisk in the cream and salt. Continue to whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the apple brandy and vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate.

Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut. Drizzle the caramel over the cheesecake as desired.

Serves 8-12

GF Friendly

Gluten Free Friendly!

Substitute the graham crackers with your favorite gluten free brand. We prefer Pamela’s Honey Grahams. In fact, I think these may be better than your typical Nabisco cracker!