Autumn Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust
1 ½ cups (126 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 10-12 sheets of graham crackers, crushed
½ cup (54.5 g) pecans, finely chopped
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cheesecake
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (115 g) sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature

Apple Topping
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced to ⅛-inch thick (about 2 cups sliced apples)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup (27 g) pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Crust
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Make sure all graham crackers are coated in butter. It should be the consistency of coarse sand.
Press the crust into the bottom and ⅔ of the way up the lined pan. Wrap 2 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil around the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.

Filling
To the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese. Beat until creamy and smooth. (You could also use a handheld mixer.)
Mix in the sugar and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add sour cream and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
With the mixer on low, add in eggs one by one until fully incorporated.
Pour the filling into the crust.

Topping
In a large bowl combine apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Gently toss to coat, ensuring all apples are coated in the spices.
Arrange the apples over the cheesecake in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping each apple. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the cheesecake.
Carefully place the cheesecake into a slightly larger pan and transfer both into the oven. Pour water into the larger pan, about halfway up the side of the foil-wrapped springform pan.
Bake until the top of the cheesecake turns golden, about 90-95 minutes. The edges of the cheesecake should be set, while the center should still have a slight jiggle. Remove from oven. Let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack until it comes to room temperature (about 1 hour).
Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
Cut and serve!

I await your comments! Enjoy!