Vanilla Bean Cheesecake With A Chocolate Cookie Crust Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan., In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and orange zest; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 5 minutes., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream. Split vanilla bean lengthwise; using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center into cream cheese mixture. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., For topping, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips; stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature or until mixture thickens to spreading consistency, about 10 minutes., Remove rim from springform pan. Spread chocolate mixture over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour longer or until set. Top cheesecake with raspberries before serving.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine crushed cookies and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, flour, vanilla and salt. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in 3/4 cup chopped cookies. Pour into crust. Top with remaining chopped cookies., Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 60-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.

Steps:

• Split 1 vanilla bean lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife. Holding the pod open, scrape seeds from each half using the flat side of your knife; place in a bowl. Repeat with second vanilla bean, placing seeds in a separate bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 white sugar together in a bowl. Press over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Combine 2 packages cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup white sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl; mix until sugar is dissolved. Add seeds from 1 vanilla bean, softened butter, and vanilla extract; blend until smooth. Pour over graham cracker crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is a light tan color, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 1 to 2 hours.
• Beat 2 cups heavy cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until cream is stiff. Place in the refrigerator.
• Melt white chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Beat 1 package cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in white chocolate until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over the cooled cheesecake. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
• Beat 1 cup heavy cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in seeds from the second vanilla bean and 1 1/2 tablespoon confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 day.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter. In a medium bowl, combine graham-cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in melted butter until crumbs are moist. Pour mixture into a 9-inch springform pan; press firmly, forming a 1/2-inch crust up sides of pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
• Reduce temperature to 275 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add remaining cup sugar. Scrape in vanilla seeds; reserve pod for another use. Beat until well combined, about 3 minutes.
• Drizzle in eggs, one at a time, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl. Beat in sour cream and salt. Pour batter into crust.
• Bake cheesecake until sides have set but center appears soft, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Run a paring knife around the outside of crust, loosening it from pan. When cool, cover tightly with plastic; let set at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, place chocolate, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and cream in the top of a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat; let cool slightly. Pour chocolate glaze over cheesecake; spread into a circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Chill just until chocolate has set, about 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and lightly butter a 10 inch springform pan.
• Place the sandwich cookies into a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, and mix with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean. Drizzle the crumbs with melted butter and stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan, and set aside.
• Place the softened cream cheese and sugar into the work bowl of an electric mixer, and beat for about 3 minutes on Medium speed, until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Add the scraped seeds of 2 vanilla beans, the vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream, and beat on Medium-High speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is blended and smooth.
• Pour the mixture into the cookie crumb crust, leaving about 2 inches of space from the top of the pan for the cake to expand as it bakes.
• Place a baking dish onto the bottom rack of the preheated oven, and fill it halfway with boiling water. Place the cheesecake onto the middle rack, above the pan of boiling water, and bake until a small knife inserted into the middle of the cheesecake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool down inside the oven for 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.