Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 T sugar
3 T butter, melted
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans
Combine in a medium bowl; stir well. Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with spray or butter. Press mixture firmly on bottom and up sides of the springform pan.
Wrap the outside of the pan with two layers of heavy duty foil, covering the bottom and extending up sides.
4-8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature, divided
1 2/3 cups sugar, divided
¼ cup cornstarch
1 T vanilla
2 eggs
¾ cup whipping cream
Place 1-8 oz package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and ¼ cup cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until creamy, scraping occasionally. Beat in 3-8 oz. packages of cream cheese. Increase speed to high and beat in 1 1/3 cups sugar, then 1 T vanilla. Blend in 2 eggs, one at a time and add ¾ cup whipping cream and beat just to blend.
Spoon filling on top of graham cracker crust.
Place springform pan in large shallow pan. Pour hot water into large shallow pan about 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 1 hour and 10-15 minutes-the center should barely jiggle when you shake the pan.
Remove springform pan from water bath and remove foil. Cool on wire rack 1 hour. Cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To remove springform, run a knife around the inside of the pan, release latch and remove ring
Dutch Apple Streusel Topping
4 cups tart apple slices
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup butter
Wash, peel, and slice apples. Combine with sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well. In a separate bowl, blend flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to make coarse crumbs. Spoons apples into glass pie pan. Place crumb mixture on top of apples. Bake at 375 degrees until apples are done, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
After cheesecake has refrigerated overnight, remove ring.
Spoon apple streusel onto cheesecake, breaking up crumb mixture slightly.
Pipe on sweetened whipped cream to decorate and drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the cheesecake.
(My favorite caramel sauce is Kraft caramels, melted in the microwave with whip cream until caramels soften. Then stir the caramels until smooth.)