Vanilla Bean Cheesecake w/ Nilla Wafer Crum Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare a pot of boiling water for the water bath.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the 3 blocks of cream cheese until creamy.

Blend in the 1/2 cup of sour cream until well combined.

Add the 3 large eggs and blend until there are no yellow streaks.

Mix in the 2/3 cup of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of corn starch.

Pour in the 1/3 cup of heavy cream and mix well.

Add the scrapings of 3 vanilla beans (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste) and blend until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla wafers and 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter to form the crust.

Press the crust mixture into the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked crust.

Wrap the springform pan in foil to prevent water from entering during the water bath.

Place the springform pan into a larger pan and fill it with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake at 350°F for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens