VANILLA BEAN and CRÈME FRAÎCHE CHEESECAKE with BLACKBERRIES
Adapted via Bon Appétit
Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients
For Crust:
♦ 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
♦ 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
♦ 1 tablespoon sugar

For Filling:
♦ 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
♦ 1 cup sugar
♦ 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
♦ 2 large eggs
♦ 3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Directions:
For crust: reheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients in bowl. Press mixture over bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 23/4-inch sides. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of foil. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and blend 1 minute. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in crème fraîche. Transfer filling to crust. Place cheesecake in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan.

Bake cake until top is dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cake cool in closed oven 1 hour. Remove from water bath. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Read more about this cheesecake and my musical pairing by clicking HERE.