Notes: A baking blogging group was all over this recipe earlier this year, but I found it via a Google Books link while searching for an apple cheesecake. I don't own this baking book, but I really love Greenspan's other books (Baking with Julia, the two Pierre Herme ones) so I had high hopes for this cheesecake. It's important to slice the apples evenly so that they all cook at the same rate. Do use a high enough heat so that they brown before getting mushy. I used my slowly dwindling supply of apples, which I'm now guessing are actually Empire. To cut down on sweetness (Greenspan calls this a “substantial” cheesecake), I omitted the 6 tbsp. of white sugar in the recipe. Instead of cider in the filling, I used apple liqueur.
Due to unforeseen circumstances while at my car mechanic, I overbaked this cheesecake for over an hour, coming in at 2½ hours total. I neglected to cover the top so I expected to come home to an apartment filled with cinnamon-scented smoke. To my surprise, the cheesecake had not dried out nor did it look too bad. The top is definitely browned and dry, but the water bath likely helped it from overcooking. I really loved the layer of tender, caramelized apples in the centre, and also the flavour of the cheesecake itself. Highly recommended.
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