Reviewed: May 22, 2012

First, let me start by saying I make cheesecakes, a lot of them. Right now this is the reigning favorite. I follow the recipe other than: adding 4 vanilla beans, and I cook it a little differently. I cook all my cheesecakes the same, 325 degrees, in a water bath. To do this, wrap the bottom of your pan with a double layer of aluminum foil, place the springform pan in a roasting pan, then fill the pan with boiling water until it is half way up the side of your springform pan. Most importantly, your cheesecake is done when it jiggles slightly in the middle, don't wait until a knife comes out clean, it will be overdone. Then, place it on your counter after baking for about 30 minutes, then put into the refrigerator, uncovered for a few hours. Then wrap with plastic and let it set overnight, yes, you need to wait. This produces a perfectly baked, creamy, crack free cheesecake every time, regardless of the type of cheesecake. This one is super good, try it.

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Reviewer:

tina2972

Reviewed: Apr. 30, 2012

Not the best I've ever had, but very tasty! I used Nilla Wafers for the crust and no vanilla pod in the crust itself. I did low fat cream cheese, 4 vanilla pods (perfect amount of black specks) and whipping cream in the batter. Mine cracked in the oven but still tasted very good. Served with fresh strawberries, it was *very* yummy. A little tweaking and it could easily be a 5 star for me!

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Reviewer:

Stephanie

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Mar. 31, 2012

I love this recipe, have made it several times, and it never disappoints. I haven't ever used the oreo cookies for the crust though, I am a die-hard graham cracker crust fan, however I have used I cup finely chopped pecans and 1 cup finely ground graham crackers for a different taste and crunchiness to the crust. The filling as per this recipe is divine

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Reviewer:

mtdm

Reviewed: Feb. 19, 2012

this was great, but did do some changes - used 4 vanilla beans in the cream cheese mixture and left out the extract. I also used a graham cracker crust from the site instead of the cookies, but added one bean to that also, for a total of 5 beans used in the recipe. This recipe makes a lot of filling, I made one cheesecake, 12 minis in a cupcake pan and still threw a little cream cheese mixture away. I had to make 1 2/3 recipes for the graham cracker crust so I had enough for the minis also. cheesecake is great!!

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Reviewer:

lesliesmith

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Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Dec. 25, 2011

The directions said bake for an hour twenty minutes. I kept it in the oven for an hour twenty five. .... At this point the center didnt seem jiggly so I figured it was done. Well it wasn't done enough to tast like cheesecake. It was kind of cottage cheesy and puddingy.....also I should have listened to others and added more vanilla bean. Would not make again.

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Reviewer:

Hanan

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: New Rochelle, New York, USA

Living In: London, Ontario, Canada

Reviewed: Dec. 17, 2011

This was a creamy excellent cheesecake! I served it at an early Christmas gathering with friends. Everyone said that it was the best cheesecake they ever had and far surpassed those offered at restaurants. Really liked the cookie crust. I baked it an extra 20 minutes and the knife would never come out clean. The crust was a little over baked but not by much. I won't add the extra baking time again. This recipe is a keeper!!

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Reviewer:

Bonnie

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2011

The flavor of this cheesecake is AMAZING!!! I over cooked it a little because I forgot to reduce the heat after I baked my crust (from another recipe) and it was still amazing!!!! I made it the night before eating it, and it was the perfect balance of vanilla and cream cheese, and didn't taste eggy at all. This is definitely my new go-to cheesecake! The vanilla beans are SO worth it! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!!!

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Reviewer:

kmbrplusone

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2011

My husband loved this cheesecake! He is a bit of a cheesecale oficiando (sp), and he approved :-) His reposnse was that it was "cheesecake like a professional". I didn't use the crushed cookies. I used a premade graham craker crust and a poured melted butter on it and allowed that to sit while I prepared the filling. Following the recipe for the filling exactly made a lot of filling for the premade crust so next time I will cut the recipe in half or buy 2 pie crusts (one to give away...definitely too rich to keep in the house). Overall a great recipe!

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Reviewer:

jasonsmom

Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2011

AMAZING! This has become a thanksgiving tradition. My family asks me to make it every year. Some people who have tried it says its the best cheesecake they have ever had. The only difference I made was I added one more vanilla bean. Amazing. Thank you for sharing!!!!!!

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Reviewer:

KissableBabe24

Reviewed: Nov. 7, 2011

My husband hates cheesecake and always begs me to make this one. I did omit the vanilla bean from the crust and just added it to the batter. I usually make mini cheesecakes (2in), and it is the perfect amount of batter and crust to make 48. It took me a while to figure out the temp and time I needed to cook the minis for, but I finally got it. I put a metal bowl of water on the bottom rack and cook on 300 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. I only have one pan, so it takes a while, but it is worth it. I've started to make these for every party we have or go to. Everyone loves it!

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