Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 3 pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Seeds of 2 Vanilla Beans
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 7 oz white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 oz cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
• 1 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• Seeds of 1 Vanilla Bean
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Seeds of 1/2 Vanilla Bean, optional

Directions

1. Start with the crust. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in an 18 by 18 sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, checking that it is completely intact so the water bath stays where it belongs. In a mixing bowl, stir together the graham crackers and sugar, then drizzle in the butter and work it through with a fork until everything is evenly dampened. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press them across the bottom in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then take the pan out and let it cool on a wire rack.
2. For the filling, turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Set out a large roasting pan, and bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil, knowing you may not use every bit. With an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and seeds from 2 vanilla beans in a mixing bowl only until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing just until each one disappears before adding the next. Mix in the sour cream and heavy cream, again stopping as soon as they are incorporated. Firmly rap the bowl on the counter about 30 times to bring up the larger air pockets. Pour the filling onto the cooled graham cracker crust and smooth the top. Set the cheesecake pan inside the roasting pan, move the roasting pan to the oven, and carefully add enough boiling water to come halfway up the outside of the cheesecake pan.
3. Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set and the middle still has a wobble, about 65 minutes. Keep it in the oven with the door shut for 10 minutes more, then transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
4. For the mousse, put the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt it at 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring after each burst, until it is smooth and fully melted. You can also melt it in a double boiler. Let it sit until it is just lukewarm. In a mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and keep whipping until stiff peaks form. The cream should be thick and just beginning to lose its glossy wet look. Tap the extra cream off the beater blades and set the bowl aside.
5. In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with the vanilla bean seeds until smooth. Blend in the white chocolate; if it looks a little grainy, that is okay. Fold in half of the whipped cream mixture with a rubber spatula until it is almost incorporated, then fold in the remaining half until the mousse is blended and streak-free. Spoon it over the cold cheesecake and spread it evenly. Cover the pan loosely with foil, return it to the refrigerator, and chill for 1 1/2 hours.
6. For the whipped topping, beat the heavy cream with the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean, if you are using them, until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Slide a knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then spread the whipped cream over the mousse layer within 2 hours of serving. To serve, take off the foil, release the latch, and lift away the springform pan ring. Garnish with raspberries and mint if desired, then cut into slices.