Apple Cheesecake (Newfoundland)

A delicious Newfoundland favourite.

Crust:
½ cup butter, melted
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup raw sugar

Filling:
16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ tsp. sea salt
2/3 cup blend cream (10%) or undiluted evaporated milk
2/3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon rind, freshly grated
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup sugar
2 cups bakeapple jam or sauce

Bakeapple Sauce:
2 cups bakeapples
water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
¼ cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 9” spring-form pan.

Crust:  Melt butter, add crumbs and sugar; mix until mixture is moist and crumbly. Press against bottom and sides of greased spring-form pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).

Filling:  Beat cream cheese well. Beat in egg yolks, then add ½ cup sugar, flour and salt. Beat well. Add cream, vanilla, lemon rind and juice; beat mixture until free from lumps.

In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until they reach the soft-peak stage. Beat in ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture.

Pour cream cheese mixture into baked crumb crust and bake for 40-60 minutes or until it sets. The mixture will be a bit quivery when removed from the oven, but will set as it cools.

Cool cheesecake to room temperature, apply bakeapple sauce over the top, then refrigerate until serving (preferably 3-4 hours).

Bakeapple Sauce:  Simmer bakeapples in a little water until tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and simmer another 5 minutes.

Mix cornstarch with enough water to form a paste. Stir into bakeapples and continue stirring until thickened and smooth.