Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Apple Filling:

5 Apples cored and peeled
⅔ cup Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
2 tablespoon Lemon juice
4 tablespoon Water
½ cup Butter unsalted
4 teaspoon Cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water

Crust:

3 cups Graham crackers crumbs
5.2 oz Butter melted, unsalted
1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
½ teaspoon Cinnamon

Cheesecake Filling:

28 oz Cream cheese room temp
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
1 cup Sour cream
4 Eggs
2 tablespoon Cornstarch

Crumble Topping:

¾ cup Flour AP
½ cup Oats rolled oats or quick oats will work
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
⅓ teaspoon Kosher salt
3.1 oz Butter melted
⅓ cup Brown sugar

Instructions:

Make the apple pie filling:

-Peel, core, and slice the apples into medium-sized slices (not too thinly). I use an apple peeler and corer to make this process quick and easy.

-Into a saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, water, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and kosher salt, and mix using a wooden spoon until the butter is melted.

-Add the sliced apples and mix them gently without breaking them. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the apples have softened.

-Add the cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water and mix until there are no lumps of cornstarch visible. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the crust:

-Prepare a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).

-Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.

-Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.

-Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 10-inch pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.

-Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.

Make the cheesecake filling:

-Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.

-Add the sour cream, and mix until well combined.

-Whisk the eggs in a small bowl add them to the cheesecake mixture and mix until the mixture is smooth.

-Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.

Make the crumble topping:

-In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.

Assembly:

-Pour ½ of the cheesecake mixture onto the crust and gently top it with the apple filling.

-Top the apple filling with the other half of the cheesecake mixture. Top it with the crumble topping.

-Bake it in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about an hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.

-Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours.

-After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.

-Carefully release the cheesecake from the pan, and top it with a drizzle of caramel sauce or lots of powder sugar.