VANILLA BEAN WHILE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CHEESECAKE

Made this for my bday (40th) 2014.  It was so yummy!  We liked how light & cool it tasted.  Jackson mentioned a couple of times how he liked the top layer.  I ordered my vanilla beans from: http://www.olivenation.com/Bourbon-Madagascar-Vanilla-Beans-P84.aspx  They were a good price and arrived quickly.  Didn't think I would like the graham cracker crust, but I LOVED it!  Next time I wouldn't cook as long (this oven cooks really fast). Maybe do 5 minutes.  I did put discarded pods in sugar.  Can't wait to try the vanilla sugar in a recipe.

Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

YIELD: SERVE 8-12

Don't throw away those scraped out vanilla bean pods (you need two vanilla beans for this recipe)! Learned from the almighty Mr. Alton Brown, I throw the empty pods into a cup of granulated sugar, cover, and let sit for a few days. It makes the most delicious vanilla sugar and I use it almost always for creme brulee. I mean, who doesn't need an excuse to make that, right? Also, here is an easy tutorial on scraping out the seeds if you haven't done it before.

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake:
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream (greek yogurt would probably work too)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• vanilla bean seeds, scraped from one pod
White Chocolate Mousse:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces white chocolate baking squares, melted
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• vanilla bean seeds, scraped from one pod

DIRECTIONS

1. For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix; then stir in the melted butter. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and just barely up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (could also use a 10-inch pan although all the layers will be slightly thinner). Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. For the cheesecake layer, in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with an electric handheld mixer (or stand mixer) until soft and creamy. Add the sour cream, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Mix in the vanilla bean seeds until evenly mixed. Don't overmix or the cheesecake will have a tendency to crack while baking.
3. Spread the cheesecake over the cooled crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
4. For the white chocolate mousse, in a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined and the peaks are slightly stiffer. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy.
5. Spread the white chocolate mousse over the cooled cheesecake.
6. For the sweetened whipped cream, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar together until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla bean seeds and mix until slightly stiffer peaks form and the vanilla bean seeds are mixed in.
7. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the white chocolate mousse. Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours before serving (or up to overnight).