Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup gluten free cookie crumbs (I used a molasses cookie, but a snicker doodle or shortbread would work wonderfully too, store bought or homemade)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons finely chopped nuts (optional, something I never put in)

Filling:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

2 1/2 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

Caramel sauce:

1 package of Kraft caramels
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Combine crust ingredients and press them into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beating on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust. Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar and spice; spoon over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Drizzle with about 4 tablespoons of caramel topping, reserving the rest of the caramel to add to each piece when serving. Chill cheesecake over night.