Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I am a fan of cheesecake. A big fan! This was my favorite (plain) recipe so far. I substituted the innards of a vanilla bean for 1 of the teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup melted margarine

Filling:

4 8-ounce pkgs. cream cheese

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 eggs

Topping:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet (that the cheesecake pan will fit inside) filled with about 1/2 inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath. (I used a cake pan. Surprise, surprise, I know. I had to put more water in because it took me a while to get the rest together and most of the water had steamed out of the oven before I was ready to put the cheesecake in).

Combine 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake dry when placed in the water bath in the oven. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Blend mixture for a couple of minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into it.

Carefully place the cheesecake into the preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool.

When the cheesecake has cooled, combine ½ cup sour cream and 2 teaspoons sugar. Spread the sweetened sour cream over the entire top surface of the cheesecake. Cover and chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.