Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

It's been a while since I've made a cheesecake. And usually the recipes I use, have tons of chocolate. But I was in the mood for something a bit different. Then I remembered a cheesecake that was in Taste of Home Fall Baking magazine. With its attractive topping of cinnamon-spiced apple slices and homemade oat-and walnut crust, it makes this dessert a definite showstopper.

Ingredients for Crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients for Filling:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Ingredients for Topping:
2 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup thawed apple juice concentrate

Directions for Crust:
1. In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, oats, walnuts and cinnamon until well blended. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2-inches up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan.

2. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

3. In a large bowl. beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in milk and juice concentrate until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined (batter will be thin). Pour into crust.

4. Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

5. In a large skillet, cook and stir apples in butter over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Cool to r room temperature. Arrange over cheesecake.

6. In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cinnamon and juice concentrate until smooth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1 minutes or until thickened. Immediately brush over apples. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Remove sides of pan.

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