As promised . . . cheesecake

How about a little somethin' to go with that raspberry sauce?

How about Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a Chocolate Cookie Crust? Oh, yeah.

One really nice part about finally living in the same city as my sister is that when it's her birthday, I get part of the cake. {I mean, that's not the only reason I like having her here.}

She wanted birthday cheesecake and I couldn't have been happier.

Let's start with the crust.

Chocolate Cookie Crust

1 & 3/4 c. crushed chocolate wafers
4 TBSP melted butter
4 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. coarse salt

Combine all ingredients. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

{I used (chocolate) Oreos...just the cookie part...for the wafers because, well, they're cheaper than chocolate wafers and I knew there would be extras. What you do with the creamy centers is your business.}

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
{modified version of Classic Cheesecake from The King Arthur Flour Baking Companion}

3 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, room temp.
1 & 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
4 eggs
3 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
1 c. sour cream, full fat
1/2 c. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 325.

On low speed, beat the cream cheese until no lumps remain; scraping down the sides as needed. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth before adding the next egg. Scrape the bottom of the bowl after each addition.

Stir in the lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, sour cream and heavy cream until smooth.

Pour onto the cooled crust and bake 50 minutes or so until the edges are set and the cheesecake is a light golden brown. The middle will still jiggle when the pan is shaken.

Turn off the oven, crack the door and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. (This helps prevent cracking.) The center will finish setting in the oven.

After 1 hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan.