Caramelized Apple Cheesecake with Spiced Creme Anglaise and Butterscotch Sauce

By bbarton81

Ingredients

• Spiced Creme Anglaise:
• * 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• * 1 cup shortbread crumbs (about 5 1/2 ounces of cookies)
• * 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• * 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• * 2 tablespoons water
• * 1 cup peeled, cored, and thinly sliced Granny Smith apples (about 2 apples)
• * 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
• * 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• * 3 large eggs
• * 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• * 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• * 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• * Spiced Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
• * 2 cups heavy cream
• * 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• * 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• * 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• * 3 large egg yolks
• * 1/4 cup sugar
• Butterscotch Sauce:
• * 1-1/2 cups sugar
• * 1/4 cup water
• * 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• * 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• * 1 cup heavy cream
• * 1/4 to 1/2 cup whole milk

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 160mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Grease a 10-inch springform pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

Combine the crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the melted butter in the bowl of a food processor and mix on low speed until well blended. Transfer to a greased 10-inch springform pan and press evenly around the bottom. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the water in a heavy, medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel is amber in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, stir, and cook over low heat until the butter is melted and evenly blended. Add the apples and stir to coat with the caramel. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Combine the cream cheese and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Fold the apple-caramel mixture into the batter, and pour into the chilled pan. Bake, rotating the pan a quarter turn every 30 minutes, until golden brown and firm around the edges, but still slightly loose in the center, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool for 2 hours. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

To serve, spoon a portion of the Spiced Creme Anglaise onto each serving plate, top with a slice of the cheesecake, and drizzle with the Butterscotch Sauce.

Spiced Creme Anglaise:
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large metal bowl with ice and water.

Combine cream, zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the hot cream, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Place in an ice bath and stir until cool.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Serve cold.

Yield: 2 cups

Butterscotch Sauce:
Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium, heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 3 to 4 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter and swirl the pan to melt it, about 1 minute. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Add the cream, whisk to combine, and remove from the heat. Add 1/4 cup of the milk, then add up to 1/4 cup more until the desired consistency is reached.

Cool until just warm before serving. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)

Yield: 2 cups