"Easy Baking"

The Basic Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1)   3 Packages Cream Cheese (24 oz.)
2)   1 Cup Sugar
3)   1/4 Cup light Corn Syrup
4)   1/4 Cup Water
5)   1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
6)   1 Cup Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche
7)   5 Eggs

Preparation:
1)   Add sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan.  Put on stove medium high
       heat...stirring occasionally.
2)   When sugar reaches an amber color, slowly add heavy cream and let cool.
3)   Blend cream cheese and sugar with a mixer on low speed.
4)   Add sour cream, then eggs one at a time.
5)   Add cooled caramel cream.
6)   Bake in a greased 9" cake pan in a 275 degree oven for approximately 1
       hour 30 minutes or until center is solid.

The Brazil Nut Crust
Ingredients:
1)   1 Stick Unsalted Butter
2)   1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
3)   1 tsp. Salt
4)   1 Egg Yolk
5)   1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
6)   4 oz. Brazil Nuts

Preparation:
1)   Chop Brazil Nuts in a food processor with the flour.
2)   Cream butter and sugar on low speed.
3)   Add salt and egg yolk.
4)   Slowly mix in Brazil Nuts and flour.
5)   Refrigerate dough.
6)   Roll dough to 1/4 inch thin.
7)   Bake at 350 degrees until light brown...about 15 minutes.

The Poached Apples
Ingredients:
1)   8 Gala Apples
2)   3 1/2 Cups Apple Juice
3)   1/2 Cup Cognac
4)   6 Cups Sugar
5)   6 Cinnamon Sticks

Preparation:
1)   Peel and core apples and place in a deep oven-proof dish.
2)   Cover with poaching liquid.
3)   Cover dish with foil.
4)   Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender all
       the way through the center.

The Final Steps
1)   Put cheesecake on top of the Brazil Nut crust.
2)   Slice the apples and place them around a slice of the cheesecake.
3)   Drizzle some of the apple syrup on the apples.