Apple Cheesecake with Cinnamon and Pecans

Ingredients

For the crust:

100 g butter

1.5 cups flour

4 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

For the filling:

450 g Philadelphia cheese

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 apples

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 cm springform pan and line it with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together, then add the softened butter. Mix thoroughly and knead the dough by hand, adding more flour if necessary.

The finished mixture should be neither too stiff nor too wet. If the mixture is too crumbly and difficult to come together, add 1-2 tablespoons of ice water.

Pour the dough into the pan and press it into the bottom with your hands, forming edges. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.

For the filling, thinly slice the apples (they don't need to be peeled first), sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon, and microwave for 3 minutes to soften. Set aside.

Combine the Philadelphia apples, eggs, sugar (1/2 cup), and vanilla essence. Mix thoroughly with a whisk or a mixer at low speed. The filling should be medium-thick. Spread the creamy filling over the pastry crust.

Spread the apple mixture evenly on top and sprinkle with chopped nuts and brown sugar.

Bake the cheesecake at 170°C for 65 minutes. Cool the finished cheesecake at room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours—preferably overnight. Garnish with whole pecans, if desired.

Enjoy!