Maple Apple Cheesecake

I am not a patient cook.  I am the one who will stick my hand in a hot oven to steal a 425 degree, not quite fully cooked, potato wedge with my bare fingers, or taste the simmering soup with only a few blows and end up burning my tongue.  So when it comes to cheesecake, I'm pretty much a lost cause because the eight hour required settling time drives me absolutely mad, and I just can't keep my fingers out of it for that long.

For the most part, I've found that if I make the cake in the evening, it can have all night while I'm asleep to firm unimpeded.  I say "for the most part", because I go to bed thinking about it resting in my fridge, so naturally I dream about it, and of course I wake up at 2am, go to check on it, and have to poke at it to make sure it's firming, and then scoop a little out to make sure it tastes okay.  I'm quite proud because I only stuck my finger in this particular cake once when I should have been asleep, which is some kind of record for me.  I later found out, while we were eating cheesecake for breakfast, that my son did the same shortly after I did; I guess the apple never really does fall far from the tree after all.

I actually developed this recipe for a contest for midwestern desserts, but since I started late and then forgot to submit it until the day after the contest ended, it was never entered.  So, the recipe is now fair game to publish here instead.  While I was working on the recipe, I made three of the cakes.  In the first, I used honey, but as the cake settled, the honey flavor became so pronounced, that it was really the only flavor that could be tasted (and it was kind of gross).  The second was with maple syrup, which was perfect.  The third was the same as the second, just because the second was so good.

Just because I don't like taking any chances with the cheesecake sticking to the pan, after I butter the pan, I cut out a sheet of parchment paper to fit the bottom, and then butter that, too.  An easy way to be sure the parchment fits is to tear off a sheet (larger than the pan), fold it in half, fold it in half again, and then continue to fold from the center point until you have a narrow triangle.  Once you've got the triangle, place the point in the center of the pan and measure to the edge, making a fold or a mark of some sort, and then cut the paper; when you open it, it will fit perfectly into the bottom of your pan.

Fold the parchment in half

Fold in half again

Fold into a triangle at the fold point

Fold a few more times, keeping the point

Place the point in the middle of your pan, measure where the edge is, then cut 

Unfold and line the bottom of your pan

Maple Apple Cheesecake
serves 10-12

Crust:

• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup
• 1 c flour
• 1/4 c rolled oats
• 1/4 c pecans, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

• 2 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/3 c applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp pure maple extract
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/3 c pure maple syrup, divided
• 3 cups thinly sliced and peeled apples
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter the inside of a 9" springform pan.  Line the bottom of the pan with a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit, and butter the parchment as well.

In a bowl, cream butter and maple syrup with a hand held electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Gradually add flour, oats, pecans and cinnamon until well blended.  Press the mixture onto the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the buttered 9" springform pan.

Place on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until set.  Cool on wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  On low speed, beat in maple syrup, sour cream and applesauce, just until blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Stir in maple and vanilla extracts (batter will be thin).  Pour over cooled crust.

Combine the apples, cinnamon, and 1/3 cup maple syrup.  Carefully arrange the apples over the top of the batter.  

Add the pecans into the apple bowl and mix to coat in any remaining liquid.  Sprinkle the pecans (and any remaining liquid) over the top of the apples.

Bake at 350F for about 1 hour, or until center is almost set.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, but do not uncinch the pan.  Cool at room temperature 1 hour more, then refrigerate at least 8 hours.