Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Yeah. I thought that might get your attention. Thanksgiving is on the morrow and a baker's dozen of family members will gather at my mom's place for The Meal. I was conscripted to make the dessert. No pumkin pie for me. No way. That just wouldn't assuage my culinary ego. It yearns to be assuaged. So I drew from my cookbook collection 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes by George Geary. I would class it at TX773.G42 2002, assuming it shelflisted neatly. But hey, that's just me. Anyway, I chose the Caramel Apple Cheesecake because of its seasonal nature, and the smack of lofty elegance it afforded. A graham cracker crumb crust, with a layer of thin apple slices, then sprinkled with chopped pecans and painstakingly quartered caramels, composes the base. The filling is a basic cheesecake with cinnamon and nutmeg. Then another layer of sliced apples arranged neatly on top. And finally, a sprinkle of more chopped pecans. It turned out great. Just to be sure there would be enough dessert, I whipped up a batch of pecan squares. From a box mix. Krusteaz. And the kitchen is clean. Now there is nothing that I must do for the rest of the evening. I can play Penguin Baseball to my heart's content. Now don't get me wrong Dear Reader. I love animals, and aside from fish and shellfish, would never harm one. Never ever. I just can't seem to shake the image of Harp Seal Pup Ice Hockey though. No. It doesn't really exist. I don't think. Maybe I'd better Google it to be certain.