Cooking Therapy

Autumn is a wonderful time of year to pick, eat, and bake using fresh apples as they are in-season. They are a very versatile group and can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. While I enjoy eating an apple dessert as much as the next person, sometimes I get bored with using the same old recipes. For this recipe I decided to combine two classic recipes, the apple pie and cheesecake, into one. Thus, the Apple Pie Cheesecake was born! This uses two types of apples (one tart and one sweet), cinnamon, and whiskey to create an out of this world apple pie filling. The cheesecake itself is smooth and fluffy with a crust that is packed with flavor. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Rest/cooling Time: 4 Hours

Ingredients:

For the Cheesecake

4 packages of cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups of sugar

5 eggs at room temperature

¾ cups of sour cream at room temperature

1 ½ tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 stick of butter, melted

½ cup of walnuts

1½ cups of graham crackers

2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

For the apple pie filling (It is recommended that this be prepped either a few hours prior to the cream cheese filling or the night prior)

3 large apples, diced (I used Cortland and Jonagold)

2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup of sugar

2 shots of whiskey, I used rye

1 capful of vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Instructions:

For the Apple Pie Filling:

• In a small saucepan, add the apples, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Cook over a medium heat until the apples begin softening and the sugar has dissolved
• Reduce to a simmer and add the whiskey. Stir using a wooden spoon
• Cook until apples soften and water has evaporated, leaving behind a thick apple filling

For the crust:

• Using a brush, spread some butter across the bottom of a springform pan
• In a food processor, blend the graham crackers, ginger snap cookies, pecans and butter, until they form a moldable mixture
• Pour the mixture in the pan, and using your hand spread it evenly across the pan, patting it down, and press it against the sides of the pan. Press the raised mixture around the side of pan so you can mold a “crust wall.” Let the crust sit until the filling is ready
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

For the cheese filling:

• Add the cream cheese and the sugar into a mixer and blend until a smooth mixture forms
• Add the vanilla and mix again
• Using a slow setting of the mixer, add the eggs one by one into the cream cheese mixture and blend
• Add the sour cream  and mix
• Pour the mixture into the crust
• Using a spoon, add the apple pie filling, a light spoonful at a time, in a swirl/shell shape around the pan
• Using a skewer or the back of a wooden spoon, slowly swirl around the cheesecake filling so that the apple pie filling gets mixed in

For the baking/serving:

• We are going to do a water bath while baking
• Cover the springform pan in aluminum foil so water does not enter it. DO NOT cover the top of the cheesecake. Simply cover the sides slightly so that there is no water leaking in, about halfway up the pan.
• In a roasting pan add 1 inch of hot water or until the water comes up halfway up the side of the springform pan
• Add the covered springform pan into the roasting pan carefully.
• Place the pans in the oven and bake until the cheesecake is in the center but still has a slight jiggle when moved. About an hour and fifteen to an hour and a half
• Let the cheesecake cool and rest for 3 hours
• Place in the fridge for 1 hour
• Serve and enjoy!