Vanilla Bean Cheesecake With Cranberry Jewel Topping Food

VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE

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.

THE BEST VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE

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.

VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY JEWEL TOPPING

Steps:

• For Crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350° F. Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with foil. Blend cookies, butter and sugar in processor until crumbs stick together. Press crumbs on bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Set aside. Maintain oven temperature.
• For Filling:
• Using tip of small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla beans into small saucepan; add beans. Add cream. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Set aside uncovered, and cool to room temperature. Discard beans.
• Blend cheese, sugar and salt in processor until very smooth, stopping often to scrape down sides of work bowl. Add vanilla cream and blend. Add eggs; process 5 seconds. Scrape down sides of work bowl; process just until blended, about 5 seconds. Transfer filling to crust.
• Bake cake until sides puff slightly and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Place uncovered hot cheesecake directly into refrigerator and chill thoroughly, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• For Topping:
• Stir all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil 3 minutes. Press mixture through sieve set over large bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Spoon warm topping over cold cake; spread evenly. Chill until topping is set, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

VANILLA CHEESECAKE WITH CHERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• To prepare crust combine first 3 ingredients, tossing with a fork. Add 2 teaspoons water, toss with a fork until moist and crumbly. Gently press mixture into bottom and 1½ inches up sides of a 9 spring form pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325.
• To prepare filling, beat cheeses with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Combine 1 cup sugar, flour, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add to cheese mixture, beat well, Add sour cream; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans, stir seeds into cheese mixture, reserving bean halves.
• Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven, run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
• To prepare topping, combine port, ½ cup sugar cherries, and reserved vanilla bean halves in a large saucepan, bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until cherries are thawed and mixture is syrupy. Remove vanilla bean halves, discard.
• Combine juice, cornstarch: and 4 teaspoons water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into cherry mixture, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and shiny. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Cover and chill. Serve over cheesecake.

FESTIVE CRANBERRY-TOPPED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 6-8 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the orange juice and zest, vanilla and cinnamon. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour filling over crust. , Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight., In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Combine cornstarch and orange juice until smooth; stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in pecans. Spoon over cheesecake. Refrigerate until chilled.

VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

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.

TGI FRIDAYS VANILLA BEAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• CRUST:Crush the graham crackers. Mix in the sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then stir in the melted butter. Line a springform pan with non-stick foil. Press graham crackers into the pan. Bake at 375º for 8 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Remove and let cool.
• CHEESECAKE: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, corn starch and sugar, mix until sugar is dissolved. Add butter, vanilla and beans, blend until smooth. Don't overmix.
• Bake at 350F 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 1 hour.
• WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE In a cold mixing bowl beat cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Put this in a bowl in the fridge. Don't wash your mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese in it, until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream.
• VANILLA BEAN WHIPPED CREAM In cold mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar and then vanilla beans, beating until stiff peaks form.
• After the cheesecake has cooled spread the mousse evenly on top. Refrigerate for about an hour then spread the whipped cream on top. Refrigerate several hours before serving.