Apple of my eye ;) Cheesecake recipe! (finally)

Apple Walnut Cheesecake

*Ingredients -

• CRUST
• 1 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (can use pecans as well)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• FILLING
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (you can do 3 packages with some added sugar to taste for a thicker filling ;) )
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• (can add a pinch of cinnamon if you are a cinnamon lover like me)
•  APPLE TOPPING
• 4 cups apples - (basically 4 apples) peeled, cored & thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 

  

*Directions -  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep apples, crush graham crackers, chop walnuts, and make sure butter is very soft (or slightly melted)
2. In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, 3 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and melted butter; 
3. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine soft cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time adding vanilla. Pour filling into the baked crust. 
5. Thinly slice the peeled and cored apples.  Microwave the apple slices for a 90 seconds to get some of the liquid out (if you skip this step the apple topping may make your cheesecake a runny mess)
6. In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Add this to the microwaved apples stirring to coat apples.  Drain excess moisture from the coated apples and spoon onto top of filling (or arrange individual slices in the design of your choosing) 
7. Optional step: Create a crumb coat topping! Mix together some softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar and add in 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Sprinkle this on top of the cheesecake to give it a beautiful yummy finish. 
8. Bake in a water bath (I use a cookie sheet filled with water and aluminum foil around the springform pan to protect the cheesecake from any water leaking in) This will keep your cheesecake from cracking.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Turn off oven and open oven door but leave cheesecake in oven for another hour to set up completely. This step is to make sure the cheesecake sets up w/o having to overcook it.

Highest bid for a piece of this cheesecake, $30! No Joke. IT'S AWESOME!