Apple-Cream Party Tart

I think this recipe is from a Canadian Living magazine, but I have changed it a little. The recipe calls for 2 - 250g packages of cream cheese, but I use 1 and only 1/2 the other because I don't like the cream cheese layer so thick. I also don't add the nuts because they seem to go soft in a day or two.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Yields: 10 wedges

Ingredients

• Sweet Crust

• 1⁄2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup all-purpose flour

• Topping

• 4  cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced, 3-4 large apples
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 cup  almonds, sliced, slivered (optional) or 1⁄2 cup  chopped pecans (optional)

• Filling

• 2 (250 g) packages cream cheese, at room temperature (regular or light)
• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 1  egg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Crust:.
3. Beat butter with sugar and vanilla, then use a fork to stir in flour till crumbly.
4. Pat evenly in bottom of 9" springform pan.
5. Topping:.
6. Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon, toss well, and set aside.
7. Filling:.
8. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg with a wooden spoon until smooth. Pour filling into crust and cover with apples.
9. Sprinkle with nuts if using.
10. Apples can be arranged in a pattern or just spread evenly to cover filling.
11. Place on center rack of preheated oven, immediately reduce heat to 400F and bake until apples are just tender - about 35 minutes. If nuts brown before apples are cooked, cover loosely with foil.
12. Cool on rack, serve right away or cover and refrigerate for up to one day.