Caramel Apple Cheesecake

As I was surrounded by holiday goodness this year, I started thinking about all the things I love about the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's trifecta. I love warm caramel apple pie, and cheesecake...oh cheesecake. This devilish confection has become a part of all of my family's major get togethers and has been since I can remember.

Then, after Thanksgiving without cheesecake or caramel apple pie...(mostly because I didn't cook Thanksgiving dinner this year- the first time in 14 years!) The wheels in my evil head began to turn...what if...what if I could combine the deliciousness of both desserts making one super confection that would take over the world? I began thinking of ways that it would be possible, coming up with the various flavor combinations that would make it a dessert to remember....

And (insert super hero theme music here) here is what I came up with! Enjoy!

Crust:

Combine in bowl until crumbly-

1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. (or 1 cube) butter
1/3 C. sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup crushed/chopped pecans (optional)

press into a 9x 13 or 10 inch springform pan and bake in oven at 400* for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned

While that is baking...

peel and dice 2 large granny smith apples, place them in a medium sized mixing bowl or saucepan

combine in microwave safe bowl:

1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. butter

place in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring at 30 second intervals

add to that concoction:
2 TBS sweetened condensed milk ( you will end up using the whole can throughout the recipe, so make sure you save what's left!)

Microwave for 1 more minute then pour over the apples and mix in (its okay if it turns into caramel "chunks" while you stir it in with the apples, just make sure they are coated so that when the caramel melts in the oven it will be uniform.)

Place the apples on the top of the crust (it should be out of the oven and partially cooled by now...look at you go multi-tasker!) Increase oven temperature to 425*

Next in a large mixing bowl combine

3 - 8 oz bricks of cream cheese ( ie 24 oz)
3 large eggs
1/3 c sugar

use mixer to whip together until there are no longer lumps. Then add:

1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract or caramel syrup (if you happen to have it on hand...I did... but vanilla works just as well, I'd imagine)
1/4 c sweetened condensed milk (see, I told you that you'd use it again!)
1/4 c Half and Half or Heavy Cream
1 1/2 TBS Flour

use mixer to whip all ingredients together. Make sure its smooth and that you have taken the time to scrape all the flour off the bowl.

Pour cream cheese mixture over the apples on the crust.

Place in oven. On the rack below place a 9x13 or 8x8 pan with water. Bake at the 425* temperature for 25 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 300* and bake for another hour or hour and half ( until the center of the cake jiggles but is solid.)

Important...DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN WHILE ITS COOKING! If you do the cheesecake will crack...it will still taste good, but it won't be as pretty...and we all know that any diva worth her weight in gold likes to serve not only tasty but pretty food...

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!!!!!!

place the rest of the sweetened condensed milk in a sauce pan. Boil until it caramelizes, stirring continuously so that it doesn't scald and burn to the bottom of the pan...You will know its caramelized when it turns a golden brown color and thickens slightly. Cool and place in a ziplock baggie and put it in the fridge. Once the cheesecake is cooled clip the corner off the ziplock baggie (try not clip it so that its too open!!!!) Squeeze out on the top of the cheesecake in your own special design...I prefer a grid....cut, serve, and enjoy!

Bon Apetite..pictures to come...