CHEESECAKE WITH VANILLA WAFER CRUST RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. For the Vanilla Wafer Crust, mix vanilla wafer crumbs, butter, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. Press evenly into bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• For the Filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.Test Kitchen Tip: For creamier texture if you’re swapping in ricotta cheese in place of the cream cheese, process the ricotta in a blender or food processor until very smooth before combining with remaining filling ingredients.
• Bake 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off oven. Leave cheesecake in oven 2 hours or until cooled. Remove from oven.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen crust; remove sides of pan. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
• Substitution Tip: If you have trouble finding cream cheese and don't want to use ricotta, try this recipe with vegan-friendly cream cheese, like Tofutti®. If you’re looking for a fully vegan version of our vanilla cheesecake, check out this Vegan Cheesecake recipe!

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the almonds, cracker crumbs, and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press the almond mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan (not on the sides of the pan). Bake the crust until it is set and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Cool. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold). Transfer the cake to a rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• For the topping: Combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave until warm, stirring every 20 seconds to blend, about 1 minute.
• Cut the cake into wedges. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the wedges and serve.