Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Last week my students and I took a break from our regular academic program to participate in what we call Intersessions: a weeklong immersion into a new skill or area of curiosity. A colleague and I have worked together for the last few years to host Kitchen Nightmares (apologies to Gordon Ramsay), an Intersession during which kids ask, “How do you find and make great recipes?”
The students started the week making provided recipes, learning about kitchen safety, and discovering the magic of mise-en-place. After this first run with training wheels, they built independence in the kitchen by choosing their own recipes. One group learned the hard way to read recipes all the way through before choosing. It turns out their biscuit recipe was made to be cooked over hot coals!
Their recipe adaptation skillz and creativity were challenged in a middle school favorite: Cupcake Wars! They chose filling, frostings, and toppings to dress up cupcakes. We ended up with Lemon Colada, Strawberry Choco-Cheesecake, and Orange Delight cupcake flavors. Finally, we ended the week with a true test of their proficiency in the kitchen: CHOPPED. They could use anything in the kitchen to make . . . well, anything! Judges were treated to fried chicken with a side of cabbage salad, lemon mousse profiteroles, and cookies and creme whoopie pies. All of it was cooked to perfection, and talk about an impressive difficulty level! It’s so gratifying to watch them bloom from kids who aren’t sure about the difference between a tablespoon and a teaspoon to little master chefs. It’s also something that just teaching and demos really can’t do — to learn, they have to get in the kitchen and rise and fall on their own.
We celebrated with a trip to a local Japanese steakhouse where the staff wink-winked us into declaring it a student’s birthday, meaning free cheesecake all around. What lovely memories. And just look at their own estimation of how they grew:
One of my favorite parts of reading their reflections on the week is how they interpreted their own mistakes. Students can sometimes feel like getting the right answer is the goal of every process, but a huge part of cooking (and, okay, life) is how you handle messing up. One kid noted, “A mistake I made was not reading through how much powder sugar we needed and we ran out, so I had to make some from sugar and corn starch. I learned to read over everything first before jumping in.” Another revealed, “I think something that was important that I learned was how to work with others and communicate with them too. I think a big problem my group had was talking to each other and listening to each other.”
Wise words resulting from what, to outsiders, may look like just a chaotic week of cooking and eating way too many fried pickles — am I right?
I think my students would have no trouble tackling this week’s recipe, even though it requires a good read-through before beginning. This delicious, decadent, company-ready dessert consists of a buttery macadamia nut crust, a creamy layer of vanilla bean cheesecake, a tangy vanilla bean sour cream topping, and finally a cloud of vanilla bean whipped cream mousse. In short, it’s a vanilla lover’s dream.
The crust was a new endeavor for me and it certainly is buttery and less stable than I’m used to, but after chilling it held up just fine and the taste is NUTS. Pun intended. So I’m sharing it with you with the note that if nuts aren’t your thing, this cheesecake would also be perfectly delicious on a regular graham cracker crumb crust or a shortbread crust like this recipe uses. Enjoy! And don’t forget your mise-en-place.
One year ago: Brownie Blackout Mousse Cake
Two years ago: Bailey’s Mint Oreo Icebox Cake
Three years ago: Buttery Coconut Almond Pull-Apart Bread (with Heavenly Coconut Cream Glaze)
Four years ago: Tres Leches Coconut Cake Trifle
Five years ago: Soft Pretzel Dogs
Six years ago: Ice Cream Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups raw macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- seeds scraped from 1/4 vanilla bean
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon gelatin
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- seeds scraped from 3/4 of a vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Make the macadamia nut crust: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling. Pulse the macadamia nuts, powdered sugar, and salt together until the macadamia nuts are finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse to mix. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan with the flat bottom of a glass or small dish. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until very lightly browning. Leave the oven preheated.
- Make the cheesecake: While the crust bakes, make the cheesecake. Beat 1 package of cream cheese, half the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low speed for 3 minutes until creamy. Add the other package of the cream cheese and mix to combine. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the rest of the sugar and the vanilla bean seeds. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined after each. Pour the cheesecake over your prepared crust. Situate the pan down into a larger pan and fill the outer pan with hot water to a depth halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the cheesecake filling barely jiggles, indicating that it’s set up. Remove to a wire rack for 5 minutes.
- Make the topping: Beat together the sour cream, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar together until combined. Pour over your cheesecake starting at the outer edges and moving to the center. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the oven for 10 minutes before removing it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours.
- Make the whipping cream: Put 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let it soften for 2 minutes before microwaving it for 30 seconds and whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Using a chilled bowl and beater, whisk the 2 cups of heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds, and powdered sugar together until the cream forms stiff peaks, stopping to add gelatin mixture about halfway through. Dollop the cream over your bars and gently spread it around. Spread the mixture evenly over the cheesecake bars. Use the foil sling to remove the bars to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
March 7, 2016 at 7:26 am (9 years ago)That cheesecake looks amazing!!! And your students sound like a lot of fun 🙂
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
March 7, 2016 at 8:05 am (9 years ago)Your students are so lucky to have you as their teacher. And this cheesecake–wow! Beautiful pictures and I love your new crust 🙂
Kellie @ The Suburban Soapbox
March 7, 2016 at 9:37 am (9 years ago)You’re like the best teacher ever. Reading through a recipe is something I didn’t do for years…I, frequently, would run into problems about 80% of the time. Great life lesson! And that macadamia crust…I think it would be fab all by itself. This dessert looks incredible.
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
March 7, 2016 at 10:56 am (9 years ago)Sounds like such a delicious Intersession. I have a friend who is a teacher and she taught stained glass windows as her Intersession last year! Everything turned out so beautifully and what a great opportunity for the kids to be exposed to many different things. These cheesecake bars are gorgeous and I’m a sucker for anything vanilla bean. Such beautiful layering!
Olivia @ livforcake
March 7, 2016 at 11:37 am (9 years ago)These look amazing!! Perfectly light and fluffy. Yum.
Heather Baird
March 7, 2016 at 12:52 pm (9 years ago)I’ll have three squares, please.
You are so wonderful to your students. xo
Alida // Alida's Kitchen
March 7, 2016 at 9:05 pm (9 years ago)I love vanilla anything and everything, this is my dream cheesecake. It looks so tasty!!
Megan Keno
March 8, 2016 at 2:46 am (9 years ago)Holy cow, these look amazing! I could easily eat like 5!
Lisa Lin
March 10, 2016 at 10:56 am (9 years ago)How I wished we had intersession at school when I grew up! I’m actually going to be teaching a group of teenagers how to cook in a few months, so reading your post couldn’t have been more timely! We probably won’t be able to bake anything, but I’m thinking of maybe doing grilled cheese sandwiches with tons of toppings for the attendees to use. Anyway, sounds like a cooking class with teens can be a lot of fun!
This cheesecake looks wonderful, and I’m sure they would be able to tackle it!
Dawn
March 28, 2016 at 11:01 pm (9 years ago)I actually have a question,how much vanilla bean paste would I use in place of vanilla beans? Thank you
Julie Ruble
March 28, 2016 at 11:05 pm (9 years ago)Hi Dawn, I wasn’t sure, but I found this: http://food52.com/hotline/1659-i-recently-picked-up-a-jar-of-vanilla-bean-paste-if-a-recipe-calls-for-one-vanilla-bean-what-s-the
Stacey
June 6, 2016 at 1:37 pm (8 years ago)I ordered my Vanilla Beans today! I can’t wait until I make this!
Emily Helvin
June 22, 2016 at 11:23 am (8 years ago)Hey! I am so ready to make this cheesecake! I was wondering… can I replace the bean with extract (if so, how much?) and the macadamia with almond?
Thanks so much!
Julie Ruble
June 27, 2016 at 5:01 pm (8 years ago)Hi Emily! I think the almonds might burn, not sure! I’ve never tried it. But to replace the vanilla bean with extract, 1 tablespoon of extract = 1 bean.
Dawn
August 12, 2016 at 11:56 am (8 years ago)The crust mixture was very wet. Any ideas on what I did wrong or is this how it should be? I’m just used to graham cracker crusts being a bit more dry.
Julie Ruble
August 12, 2016 at 5:49 pm (8 years ago)Mine was too, Dawn — it’s because the nuts don’t absorb the butter like the graham cracker crumbs do. However, mine did hold together nicely. If yours didn’t, you could try decreasing the amount of butter a bit so there’s not so much moisture. I hope you enjoyed it!
KW
December 18, 2016 at 3:38 pm (8 years ago)This dessert looks fantastic although I am curious about the “tangy” sour cream layer. I don’t generally like sour cream, I don’t put it on tacos or baked potatoes, but of course I cook with it. Does this taste like plain sour at all? Also, where did you find macadamia nuts?
Julie Ruble
December 18, 2016 at 3:54 pm (8 years ago)The sour cream layer does have a bit of tang. You can leave it out altogether or sweeten it up more if you’re not sure you will like it. I got my macadamia nuts at a store with bulk bins, like Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, or Earthfare. Enjoy!
Marji
March 31, 2017 at 12:52 pm (8 years ago)Have you ever used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Julie Ruble
April 1, 2017 at 6:03 pm (8 years ago)No, but if you try it, let us know how it goes!
Dani H
January 14, 2017 at 12:55 am (8 years ago)I can’t wait to try this! I always make a lightly lemon-flavored cheesecake but this just sounds SO good! And my daughter doesn’t really care for the standard graham cracker crust so that’s an added bonus.
Thanks for another exceptional recipe.
Niki
March 4, 2017 at 9:05 pm (8 years ago)Suggestions for alternative crust options? I’m allergic to macadamia nuts 🙁
Julie Ruble
March 6, 2017 at 12:34 am (8 years ago)This would be great with a standard graham cracker crumb crust, or a shortbread crust like these (http://willowbirdbaking.com/2010/04/03/lemon-blueberry-cheesecake-squares-with-shortbread-crust/ — use a half recipe)
Mary
March 7, 2017 at 11:31 pm (8 years ago)Looks delicious. What size of pan do you use?
Julie Ruble
March 8, 2017 at 11:21 am (8 years ago)Thanks! It’s an 8-inch square baking pan.
Lisa
March 21, 2017 at 11:59 am (8 years ago)I’m not familiar with Vanilla Beans. I’ve never baked with them before. So, when the recipe calls for so much of 1 vanilla bean what exactly does that mean? I’m so use to measuring ingredients by Cups/TB/TSP.
Julie Ruble
March 21, 2017 at 12:06 pm (8 years ago)No worries, Lisa! It’s easy to do — this is a great little primer: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-use-a-vanilla-bean-181511. BUT if you find you’d like to use vanilla extract as usual, that’s just fine too — you just won’t have the little vanilla bean seed flecks. Each vanilla bean equals about 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
Shaun
October 1, 2017 at 10:16 pm (7 years ago)Can this be frozen??
Julie Ruble
October 2, 2017 at 12:12 am (7 years ago)Hi Shaun! Unfortunately the mousse wouldn’t do well frozen — the texture would suffer. Sorry about that!
Nichole
November 19, 2017 at 11:31 pm (7 years ago)Hi Julie. Can this be made in a springform pan instead?
Julie Ruble
November 20, 2017 at 12:37 am (7 years ago)You might be able to, but it’ll change the thickness and therefore the baking times and such! I use a pan conversion chart like this (http://dish.allrecipes.com/cake-pan-size-conversions/) to decide if it’ll work and then check the doneness early and often!
Carol T
December 6, 2017 at 5:03 pm (7 years ago)This looks luscious and such a creative edge to traditional cheesecake or pie. Can I make this a day in advance or would the whip cream not hold up?
Julie Ruble
December 6, 2017 at 6:17 pm (7 years ago)I think you can! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Ali
February 24, 2022 at 10:29 pm (3 years ago)Hi! Can you sub xanthan gum for the gelatin?
Julie Ruble
February 25, 2022 at 10:56 am (3 years ago)I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure of the amounts. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Aleta
November 21, 2023 at 2:03 am (1 year ago)Do you think the recipe can be doubled in a 9 x 13 pan?
Julie Ruble
November 21, 2023 at 1:54 pm (1 year ago)Yes, I think so! Just check for doneness early and often.