Vanilla Speckled Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

I am sometimes an impulsive shopper, but I can usually resist buying the recipe magazines.  But not too long ago, I couldn't resist the cheesecake gracing the cover of Mixingbowl.com which seems to be a magazine published by Better Homes and Gardens.  It was their Baking issue and featured a Vanilla-Speckled Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache.  Now, I'm a sugar for vanilla, especially actual vanilla bean.  (So much so that I've asked for vanilla beans for Christmas).  I wanted to bake it, but more importantly, I wanted to eat it.  The weekend after Thanksgiving finally gave me the opportunity to splurge and bake this cheesecake as we had Thanksgiving dinner with hubby's paternal family.  I always bring dessert and they love me for it. 

The flavors of this cheesecake were great!  But sadly, I have one major issue with the recipe.  The ganache was too firm or the cheesecake was too soft, but it was impossible to slice without it flattening and getting messy.  Thus, no nice slice photo.  Next time, I might add more cream cheese or less sour cream to attempt to fix this issue.  Or perhaps I'll just do a thinner layer of ganache.  I guess I'll just have to make a few more :)

Vanilla Speckled Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

(Mixingbowl.com, Fall/Winter 2010, page 13)

• 2 cups finely crushhed chocolate graham crackers (about 28 squares)
• 1 tbsp finely shredded orange peel (omitted because hubby would hate it)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2  8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condences milk
• 2 pints fresh raspberries (purchased but forgotten)
• orange peel strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 325F.  Place an 8 inch springform pan on a large sheet of foil.  Wrap foil around bottom and sides of pan to enclose; set aside.  

For the crust, in a medium bowl combine rushed graham crackers and orange peel.  Stir in melted butter.  Press the crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of the prepared pan.  Chill while preparing filling.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition.  Gradually add sugar, beating until filling is creamy.  Beat in sour cream and vanilla bean seeds.  Scrape sides of bowl throughout mixing to prevent any lumps, but do not overbeat.

Pour filling into chilled crust; use a spatula to smooth the top.  Place in a large roasting pan.  Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to reach one-fourth of the way up the sides of the springform pan.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven for 1 hour or until cheesecake jiggles slightly.  Remove cheesecake from roasting pan to wire rack.  Using a small sharp knife, loosen the crust from pan sides.  Cool for 30 minutes.  Chill, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours.

For ganache, in a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.  Cook and stir over low heat until smooth.  Spread evenly over cheesecake.  Chill until set.   Just before serving, top with raspberries and, if desired, orange peel strips.