Instructions

1. For the crust, if using a food processor, blitz the biscuits to crumbs, then add the sugar and pecan nuts, pulse a few times until the pecan nuts are in small pieces, but not fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine.
2. If making without a food processor, place the biscuits in a strong freezer bag and beat with a rolling pin or heavy pot or pan until crumbs. Tip crumbs into a bowl then whisk through the sugar and finely chopped pecan nuts. Finally, stir in the melted butter.
3. Butter the sides of a 20cm (8inch) springform tin and wrap the bottom with 2 sheets of tinfoil, the tinfoil should be at least halfway up the sides of the tin. Tip: You can also line the sides with strips of parchment paper for easier removal from the tin.
4. Tip the crust mixture into the prepared tin and press it firmly into an even layer. Refrigerate until needed.
5. Pre-heat oven to 165°C / 145°C fan assisted and place a large and deep baking dish into the oven (the cheesecake will be baked in a bain marie.)
6. For the toffee apple inclusion, core, peel and chop the apples into 2cm chunks.
7. In a large pan over medium high heat, heat butter, sugar and cinnamon until bubbling.
8. Add the chopped apple and toss to coat, then cook until the apples start to go tender and the sauce turns thick, 10-15 minutes. Stir as needed.
9. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
10. For the cheesecake batter, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl on low speed until smooth, add the sugar and mix in, also at low speed. Tip: Always mix on a low speed as you don’t want to incorporate air into the batter, the less air means less bubbles means a better chance that the cheesecake won’t crack while baking.
11. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition.
12. Finally, add the double cream, lemon juice, vanilla and salt, mix until well combined and batter is smooth.
13. Scatter the cooked apple pieces over the prepared crust, keep a 2cm border around the edges so that the cheesecake batter seals them in.
14. Pour the cheesecake batter over the apple, it should almost fill the cake tin.
15. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the batter, lightly swirl with a knife to marble it.
16. Carefully place the cheesecake tin into the large baking tray in the oven. Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come to about 4cm up the sides of the cheesecake pan, be careful not to let any water splash into the cheesecake batter.
17. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes, just until the cheesecake is set around the edges but still has a lot of jiggle in the centre when you gently shake the pan.
18. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door shut to allow it to cool down gently for at least an hour, it will continue to cook in this time.
19. After the hour, carefully lift cheesecake out of the water bath and leave it to cool on a wire rack at room temperature for a few hours. (If you didn’t line the pan with parchment paper, carefully run a sharp knife around the edges to unstick it from the pan.)
20. Finally, chill in the fridge overnight.
21. For the toffee apple slices that will be served with the cheesecake, core the apples and cut into slices. Like you did for the apple chunks inside the cheesecake, in a large pan over medium high heat, heat butter, sugar and cinnamon until bubbling.
22. Add the sliced apple and pecan nuts then toss to coat. Cook until the apples start to go tender and they’re coated with the sauce, 8-12 minutes. Stir as needed to avoid burning, then remove from heat and leave to cool.
23. To serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving plate. Either arrange a wreath of apple and pecan nuts around the edges of the cheesecake and serve slices with extra helpings of the apple, or, pile the entire amount of apple and pecan nuts on top.
24. Tip: The best way to cleanly cut a cheesecake is to heat a knife in boiling water, dry the blade then make a cut, wipe the blade clean then re-heat, dry and make another cut. Repeat until you’ve cut as many servings as needed.
25. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.