A beautiful end to any meal, especially in the fall and winter with the delicious caramel and pecans! We use ChocolaTas Bourbon Vanilla Caramel from our stores to drizzle over this masterpiece! And finish it with a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel finishing salt. Incredible!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tbsp. maple sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. Olive Us Himalayan Pink Salt (fine grain)
3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups crisp apples, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup granulated sugar or vanilla sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
additional 1/4 cup + of chopped pecans for topping, if desired
1/2 cup ChocolaTas Bourbon Vanilla Caramel sauce from Olive Us
1 tsp Olive Us Fleur de Sel finishing salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). On the bottom rack, place a sided pan (such as a jelly roll pan) filled with water.
Slice apples and toss with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at full power for 60 seconds. Turn apples out into a fine colander or strainer over the sink and allow excess moisture to drain. If you are hoping for a smooth, finished apple design, use an apple corer/peeler/slicer and do not treat the draining apples roughly!
Blend crumbs and pecans with sugar and Himalayan Pink Salt. Stir in melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9 inch spring-form pan. Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove to cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and mixing well between each addition. Blend in vanilla extract. Pour the filling into the baked crust.
Arrange the cinnamon-sugared and drained apples on the top of the cheesecake filling. You may arrange them in concentric rings if thinly sliced, or alternately spoon a “messier” apple mixture over the top. If using chopped pecan for topping, add them part way through bake time.
Bake on the middle rack (the rack above the water pan) in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until just the very center ‘jiggles’ when the pan is nudged (If you wait until the entire cheesecake is set, it will be over-cooked!).
With a knife, loosen the cake from the rim of the pan. Let cool for 20 minutes, and then remove the rim of the pan. Drizzle with ChocolaTas Bourbon Vanilla Caramel sauce. Chill the cheesecake for 3 hours, or overnight. Prior to serving, sprinkle with Fleur de Sel finishing salt.
By L Drinon, Adapted by Olive Us