Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups gram crackers I will play with this and do chocolate gram crackers too!

• 4 tablespoons sugar

• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

• 4 (8 oz) cream cheese room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 vanilla bean pod seeds scraped (cut open and take the back of your knife and scrape along the pod to gather)

• 6 large eggs room temperature

• 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 F

2. Using a 9-inch spring foam pan wrap the bottom and up the sides with aluminum foil.

   • This is to ensure that the water you put at the bottom of the pan later does not get into the cheesecake!

3. Grease the inside of the pan with softened butter and line with parchment paper at the bottom.

4. Take the gram crackers and put in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin (take some aggression you may have out on these) or place them in your blender or food processor and crush.

   • I use my Vitamix and mix on low for about 30-45 seconds.

5. In a small bowl add the gram crackers, sugar, and melted butter and mix.

6. Add to the bottom of your pan and pat down with a spoon or your fingers.

7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. When done remove from the oven and set to the side while you prepare the filling.

   • When it is done baking lower the oven temp to 325 F

8. While it is baking boil some water on the stove that you will use later.

9. In your large standing mixer bowl add the softened cream cheese and sugar and mix on medium high until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again to ensure the consistency is smooth.

10. Add the vanilla extract and vanilla beans and beat on low until incorporated.

11. Now add 1 egg at a time on low making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. After the 3rd egg scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. We want to make sure there are no clumps! Then add the rest of the eggs, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on low for a few seconds. Scrape the bowl again.

12. Mix in the sour cream on low until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and mix again on low for a few seconds.

13. Pour the filling into the pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.

14. Place the cheesecake on a baking pan and place in the middle of the oven. Take your boiling water and fill the pan with 1 inch of water around the cheesecake.

15. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

    • The cake should not look like liquid, but it will have a wobble to it. That is PERFECT!

16. After the 1.5 hours of baking turn off the oven. Then crack the door (about 1 inch) and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.

17. After the 1 hour remove the cheesecake from the oven and set in the fridge cover with plastic wrap. Let it set for 8 hours. This is key! Do not dig in as it needs these 8 hours to set. I know, I know that is torture.

18. After the cheesecake is set you can remove from the pan and enjoy!

Toppings

You can add toppings to this cheesecake if you want! Strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and chocolate are a favorite in this house!

For a quick compote:

1. Add a cup of your berries (fresh or frozen) of choice and a half a cup of sugar to a small saucepan.

2. Bring it to a boil then immediately reduce to low.

3. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Add about a tablespoon of lemon juice and a dash of lemon zest.

5. If you want it to be a tad thicker you can add a tablespoon of powdered gelatin.

6. When the 5 minutes are done take a mesh sieve and strain the compote into a bowl.

7. Set aside to cool before topping your cheesecake.