Apple Cheesecake

It's apple season!! Last week I made an apple snack cake which left me with some random leftover ingredients. This recipe was a perfect way to use up some graham crackers, apples, and nuts. It's a lot of sugar and butter but the end result is a perfect autumn cheesecake. Enjoy!

Crust:

• 1 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 tbsp fine white sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup fine white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

• 2-3 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (I used Fuji)
• 1/4 cup fine white sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make the crust: in a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Press it into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.

3. Make the filling: in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. Pour the filling into the baked crust.

4. Make the topping: in a large bowl, toss the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Layer the apples over the filling and sprinkle with remaining pecans.

5. Bake for 60-70 minutes until set. Loosen the cake from the rim using a knife. Let it cool and remove the sides of the pan. Chill before serving.

Serves: 12
WW: 10 pts/slice