Maple syrup cheesecake with caramelised apples

If you love the combination of apples and maple syrup, you’re in for a real treat :). This delicately creamy cheesecake has a distinct maple flavour and is topped with delicious, lightly caramelised apples. With its quick biscuit base, it’s a wonderful autumn dessert.

Tip: Instead of maple syrup, you can use golden syrup or honey (although the flavour will be quite different if you choose honey). For the best results, use a good-quality curd cheese,

Ingredients for the base:

• 160 g wholegrain or oat biscuits
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 40 g butter, melted

Place the biscuits, cinnamon and melted butter into a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles damp sand. Alternatively, place the biscuits in a sturdy food bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin, then mix with the cinnamon and melted butter.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Press the biscuit mixture firmly over the base of the tin. Bake at 175°C for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly while preparing the filling.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil, as the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath.*

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 500 g full-fat or medium-fat curd cheese, ground three times
• 250 ml double cream
• 3 large eggs
• 125 ml maple syrup, plus extra sugar to taste if needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 3 tablespoons plain flour

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the filling ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix just until combined, or whisk together by hand. Do not overmix, as incorporating too much air will cause the cheesecake to rise during baking and then sink as it cools. The finished cheesecake should have a perfectly level surface. Taste the filling before baking. Depending on the sweetness of your maple syrup, you may wish to add a little caster sugar (I added 2 tablespoons). Pour the filling over the prepared biscuit base.

Bake at 160°C in a water bath* for about 50–55 minutes, or until the surface is fully set. If necessary, bake for a few minutes longer. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for several hours.

Ingredients for the maple apples:

• 3 firm, juicy apples
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• a pinch of salt

Peel and core the apples, then cut each into quarters and each quarter into three pieces.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the apples and cook over a medium heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the maple syrup and salt, then continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring gently, until the apples are tender. Remove from the heat. Arrange the apples (they can still be warm) over the cooled cheesecake before serving.

*How to Bake a Cheesecake in a Water Bath

Place the wrapped springform tin inside a larger baking tin or ovenproof dish. Pour boiling water into the outer dish until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. The steam created during baking keeps the oven humid, allowing the cheesecake to bake evenly all the way through, including the centre. It also helps prevent cracks and gives the cheesecake an exceptionally smooth and creamy texture.

Enjoy!