Sweet Kitchen Cravings

Caramel Sauce: Combine sugar and water in a small stainless steel saucepan and place over medium heat. Brush down the sides of the pan with water using a pastry brush, to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.

Place the lid on and allow the mixture to cook undisturbed (don’t stir!). Check frequently on the sugar and brush down the sides of the pan with water as needed. The mixture will be cloudy at first, then boil and become clear, before starting to carmelize. Swirl the pan occasionally once the sugar begins to caramelize. As soon as the sugar reaches a deep golden amber color, remove it from the heat.
Once off the heat, carefully add the butter and whisk until combined. Slowly stream in the heavy cream while continually whisking. The mixture will bubble up vigorously when adding the butter and cream but will settle once incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the caramel through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof container. Place the caramel in the fridge to cool completely.

Caramel Cheesecake Filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly stream in the heavy cream. Once the cream is incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and whip until the mixture is thick about 20-30 seconds. Mix in ⅓ cup of the cooled caramel sauce until fully incorporated.

Add the caramel cheesecake filling to the pre-made graham cracker pie crust. Spread out the filling evenly and smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Apple Compote: Chop the apples into small pieces. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then add the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook over medium-low heat until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water. Once the apples are soft and the mixture is bubbling, stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir while the mixture thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Top the chilled pie with the cooled apple compote and drizzle generously with the caramel sauce. Slice, serve, and enjoy!