Here are some simple recipes for cheesecake lovers on how to make this delicious dessert, using the amazing flavor of vanilla beans, at home.
Cheesecake is a dessert with more than one layer―the top layer is made of soft cheese, eggs, and sugar, and the base is usually made with crushed cookies and Graham crackers. It is said that this amazing dessert was first prepared in Greece.
Recipe 1
Ingredients
1 packet (18 oz.) vanilla sandwich cookies
2 pounds cream cheese (softened)
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup butter (melted)
1½ cups white sugar
5 eggs (whole)
3 vanilla beans (split lengthwise; seeds scraped and reserved)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 300 °F; lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter.
Place the sandwich cookies in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and mix them up with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean. Pour a little of the melted butter into the mixture, and stir. Transfer this into a springform pan.
In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese along with the sugar on medium speed using an electric mixer, for about 2 minutes.
Once the mixture turns smooth, add the eggs (one at a time), 2 vanilla beans, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sour cream, to the bowl. Blend these at medium speed for about a minute.
Pour this mixture over the crumbs placed in the springform pan.
Fill a baking dish halfway with water and place it on the bottom rack of an oven. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack and bake it for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check if it's done, using a knife.
Turn off the oven and let the cake stand in it for about 45 minutes.
Remove and cover it with plastic wrap; cool it in the refrigerator overnight or at least for 4 hours before serving.
Recipe 2
Ingredients
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1½ cups walnuts (crushed)
1½ cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
½ cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
¼ tsp. almond extract
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 °F and then lightly grease a springform pan with the butter. Beat the walnuts with the butter, along with a ¼ cup of the sugar, in a food processor. Pour this mixture into the pan and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the sour cream, ½ cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, together; keep it aside.
Turn down the temperature to 300 °F. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining sugar and vanilla seeds. Add the eggs, one at a time, the remaining vanilla extract and almond extract, to the bowl, and blend till the mixture turns smooth.
Pour this into the pan containing the walnut mix and bake it for 70 minutes.
Take the pan out, pour the sour cream mixture into it, and place it in the oven for 5 more minutes.
Cool the cake for 3 hours; cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator, overnight.