Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Ingredients

Graham Crust:

• 16 graham crackers
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt

Cheesecake:

• 4 blocks of cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt

Apple filling

• 5 large apples
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Juice from half a lemon or 1 tbsp
• 1/3 cup of water
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Crumble:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a 9” spring form pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix crushed crackers, melted butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Press the crust into the bottom and about 1” up the sides of the prepared pan. For pressing, use the bottom of a cup or measuring spoon to help compact the crust.
3. For the cheesecake, bring a kettle or large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile in the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until is is smooth and without lumps.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each egg added. Next, beat in sour cream, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until just combined. Pour the mixture into the crust and spread into an even layer using a spatula.
5. Wrap the bottom of your spring form pan with foil and place it in a large roasting pan. If you have an extra bag, also wrap this around the bottom of your spring form pan to stop water from seeping in. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the spring form pan.
6. Bake the cheesecake for approximately 1 hour and 30 min, or until the center just slightly jiggles. Leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn it off, and leave the oven doors propped. Do this for 1 hour. After you have removed the cheesecake from the oven, increase the temperature to 425° F
7. Apple pie filling- in a medium saucepan, toss apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the apples are slightly tender and the sauce has thickened. Be sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking. Let cool to room temperature.
8. To make the crumble, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, and melted butter. Mix and compact so it begins to clump. Set aside.
9. To assemble, pour cooled apple pie filling over the cheesecake (the cheesecake must be cool). Using a spatula, gently smooth the apple pie filling into an even layer on the cake. Next, sprinkle your crumble topping over the entire layer.
10. Return the completed cheesecake to the oven until the crumble has begun to turn golden brown and crisp up.
11. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack on the counter. Once cooled, transfer it to the fridge and let it sit overnight with the spring form in place. Remove the spring form the next day before enjoying the cake!