CARAMEL-APPLE-WALNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then close the ring around it for each removal of the cheesecake after baking.
• Place walnuts in a bowl and drizzle melted butter on top. Toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves on top and toss nut topping well.
• Place sliced apples in a bowl, add lemon juice, and toss well. Add cinnamon and cloves and toss apple topping. Set both toppings aside.
• Mix flour, sugar, chopped pecans, and lemon peel together in a bowl until well combined. Cut in butter slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix well. Press crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool crust on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Place cream cheese in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar slowly, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well to ensure it is dissolved after each addition. Add flour, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt.
• Combine egg and egg yolks in a bowl and add to cream cheese mixture. Beat in heavy cream and whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into the cooled crust and decorate with the cinnamon apples. Sprinkle just some of the nut topping on top.
• Fill a 9x13-inch baking pan with water and place on the bottom rack of the hot oven.
• Bake the cheesecake on the middle rack of the hot oven until set, about 80 minutes.
• Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit, untouched, for 1 hour to finish cooking throughout.
• Cool on a wire rack until room temperature, about 1 hour. Place cheesecake in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen chilled cheesecake. Remove sides of pan.
• Crush remaining nut topping into a crumble and use to decorate around the sides of the cheesecake.
• Melt caramel topping in a microwave oven for 30 seconds at a time until pourable. Drizzle on top of cheesecake and top with more walnuts, if desired.