Apple Paleo Cheesecake with Caramel

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a small bowl, whisk flax meal and warm water and place into the refrigerator to gel while you make the cheesecake.

Place soaked cashews into a high-powered blender (make sure you drain the water first!) along with all of the other ingredients for the cheesecake (except the flax egg). Puree until thick, smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside while you make the crust. (You want to be able to pour the cheesecake onto the crust as soon as it’s out of the oven, which is why it’s best to prepare it first.)

For the crust, in a large bowl, beat ghee and honey until smooth. Stir in coconut flour, cinnamon and a pinch of salt until well mixed. The dough may be a little wet—that’s normal!

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until edges of the crust are lightly golden brown, about 7–8 minutes.

When the crust has about 2 minutes left to bake, transfer cashew mixture into a large bowl and pour in the flax eggs from the refrigerator. You want to leave them in the refrigerator as long as possible, so they can really gel up. Stir until flax is evenly mixed into the cashew cream.

Remove the crust from the oven. Your crust with most likely have risen in a few spots. Just use a small spoon to pack it back down flat, leaving no cracks. Immediately pour the cheesecake mixture over top and smooth out evenly.

Bake until cheesecake has risen slightly and the outside appears set and firm, about 45–50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter. Cover and refrigerate overnight to completely set.

The next day, combine all of the caramel ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring so everything is melted and combined. Once boiling, let it boil for 1 minute without stirring. Then boil, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken, darken and reduce, about 2 minutes. Once thick, transfer to a bowl and let it stand for 15 minutes to further thicken, stirring occasionally.

While caramel sits, prepare the apples. Toss sliced apples with a squeeze of lemon juice and heat ghee in a large, high-sided frying pan on medium-high heat.

Once the ghee is melted, add apples into the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until apples are golden brown and fork-tender, about 5–6 minutes. Add coconut sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon and cook until the sugar melts and is syrupy, about 1 minute.

Run a sharp knife around the outsides of the springform pan, and then release the sides from the pan. Spread the caramel over top of the cheesecake. Arrange apples in concentric circles atop cheesecake and brush apples with any juices left in skillet.

Slice and devour!

Notes:
1. I buy my cashews pre-roasted. If you’re aren’t, stick them in a 400ºF oven for just a few minutes, until lightly golden brown.
2. I’ve made this crust with different brands of coconut flour and, to get 66g, some brands need less than 3/4 cup. So I strongly urge you to weigh your flour to make sure you get perfect results.