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Sour Cream Cheesecake With Vanilla Bean

5.0(590)

This elegant cheesecake is based on Amanda Hesser's mother's simple recipe. The crust is made of Nabisco chocolate wafers and butter. The bottom layer is a fluffy pool of cream cheese, eggs and sugar. The top is a thin layer of sour cream and sugar. Her recipe called for vanilla extract, but this one uses the seeds of one whole vanilla bean, which has a way of elevating all the other subtle flavors – cinnamon, chocolate and the tang of the sour cream and cream cheese – in a magical way.

by Amanda Hesser·published 2001-09-26

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Dessert

Servings

12 servings

Total time

1h 10m

Calories / serving

329 kcal

Ingredients (8)

serves

18 chocolate wafers, finely crushedchocolate-wafer
1/4 teaspoon cinnamoncinnamon
1/4 cup butter, meltedbutter
1 pound cream cheese, room temperaturecream-cheese
2 eggs at room temperature, lightly beatenegg
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugarsugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scrapedvanilla
1 1/2 cups sour creamsour-cream

Instructions (3 steps)

01In a bowl stir together crushed wafers and cinnamon with a fork. Pour in butter, and stir until mixture is moist. Press mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, forming a crust just over 1 inch high around the sides. You might think you need more wafers, but you don't. Press patiently until a tight, thin layer forms. Chill until needed.
02Heat oven to 350 degrees with baking sheet on center rack. In an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs, 2/3 cup sugar and seeds from vanilla bean, and beat until very smooth. Scrape bowl with a spatula to break up lumps. Pour into crust, and place on baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes.
03Meanwhile, blend sour cream with 3 tablespoons sugar. After 25 minutes, remove cake from oven, and let sit 5 minutes. Increase oven heat to 450 degrees. Gently spoon sour cream mixture on top, and spread evenly. Return cake to oven, and bake 7 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.