Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 100g/3½oz light soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 1 tsp milk
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 250g/9oz oat biscuits
• crushed
• 1 large Bramley apple
• peeled
• core removed
• sliced
• mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 500g/1lb 2oz mascarpone cheese
• 400g/14oz cream cheese
• 125g/4½oz caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• split lengthways
• seeds only
• 1 x 150ml/5fl oz tub soured cream
• 4 free-range eggs
• 100g/3½oz sultanas (optional)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• For the crumble topping
• tip the flour
• sugar and cinnamon into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the milk and set aside.
• For the biscuit base
• mix the melted butter and crushed biscuits together in a bowl
• then press the mixture into the base of 23cm/9in springform tin. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• For the filling
• cook the apple slices in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes
• or until just tender but still holding their shape. Drain and cool.
• Beat the mascarpone and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the sugar
• vanilla seeds and soured cream and beat until smooth. Beat in the eggs
• one at a time
• until well combined.
• Spoon half of the filling onto the chilled biscuit base. Top with the apple slices and sultanas (if using) and sprinkle over the spices
• then spoon over the remaining mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes
• then open the oven door
• pull the cheesecake out a little bit and sprinkle the crumble topping over the top. Shut the door and bake for a further 40-45 minutes
• or until the cheesecake is mostly set with a slight wobble in the middle.
• Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for two hours
• then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.