Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

One of the highlights of the Christmas brunch was this cinnamon-spiced apple cheesecake. It took some time to make. The procedures were long (imagine how tired I got with the tedious task of peeling and slicing the apples!),  but it was well worth the effort. It was delicious. It was a big hit among the over 200 guests who showed up for the event.

This was taken from taste of home. I followed the recipe to the T. It's easy to make and definitely worth making again. Suitable for all occasions.

The original servings is 12. I had to resize the recipe  to make enough for our guests. I ditched spring form pan and  used a baking sheet with shallow sides so I could make it in one go.

Crust : 
1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
3 eggs lightly beaten

Topping:
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup thawed apple juice concentrate

Procedure:
In a stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, oats, walnuts and cinnamon until well blended. Press onto the bottom of the  pan. In my case, baking sheet.
Note: I made the crust a day in advanced and chilled in the  freezer overnight.   I baked it first thing in the morning.


Bake at 325 F for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

In the same stand mixer (clean and dry), beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in milk and apple juice concentrate until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined (batter will be thin). Pour into crust.

Bake at 325 F for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan/baking sheet to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, I made the topping. 

In a large skillet, cook and stir apples in butter over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Note: I cooked the apples by batches for even cooking. 

Cool to room temperature. Arrange over cheesecake.

 In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cinnamon and juice concentrate until smooth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Immediately brush over apples.

Serve chilled!