Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake

This has been by far probably the most complicated recipe I have done so far. But it was well worth it. The cheesecake it's self is amazing. I got this recipe from http://crumblycookie.wordpress.com, who got the recipe from a website called Tuesdays with Dorie. I changed it slightly. It also called for something I never did before, and that was to put the springform pan in a roaster with boiling water around it. So get your kettle ready and start boiling water.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
30 spice wafers chopped up into crumbs, should have 2 cups
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 stick of melted butter

For the Apples:
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
3-4 Large Apples, whatever you want, I used Macintosh
2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar

For the Filling:
Three 8 ounce cream cheese packages, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of apple cider
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

For the crust:
1) Butter the bottom of a springform pan, any size you want the cake to be
2) Put the spice wafers in a food processor and blend till you have crumbs, 2 cups. Pulse in the sugar and cinnamon, then pour over the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Put the crumbs into the springform pan and firmly press them evenly over the bottom. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven.
3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4) Wrap the bottom of the pan tightly with aluminum foil, going up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is set and lightly brown. Transfer to cool.

For the apples:
1) Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, toss in half of the apple slices, turn once and cook till brown.
2)Sprinkle the apples with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and cook them, turning, just until coated, another minute or so.
3) Scrape the apples onto a plate and repeat with the remaining apples. Let the apples cool while you make the filling.

For the filling:
1) With a mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often, for about 4 minutes, or until it is velvety smooth.
2) Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes.
3) Beat in the cider, vanilla, and cinnamon.
4)Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in.
5) Beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, beating just until the batter is smooth.
6) Pour about one third of the batter into the baked crust.
7)Drain the apples by lifting them off the plate with a slotted spoon or spatula, and spoon them into the pan. Cover with the remaining batter and, if needed, jiggle the pan to even the top.
8)Place the springform pan in the roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
9) Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 to 45 minutes, covering the cake loosely with a foil tent at the 45-minute mark.
10) The cake will rise evenly and crack around the edges, and it should be fully set except, possibly, in the very center-if the center shimmies, that’s just fine.
11) Gently transfer the cake, still in the pan, to a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours; overnight would be better.
12) Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the crust, open the pan’s latch and release and remove the sides.

Enjoy!!