Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 & 3/4 cups gingersnaps, about 35* (can substitute with graham crackers or Nilla Wafers)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

• 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 & 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste** (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 10 large egg yolks
• 2-3 tablespoons superfine sugar**** for torching
• Raspberries, to garnish

Instructions

For the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9-inch springform pan. Tear off an 18-inch square of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Set the pan in the center of the square and carefully wrap the foil up over the edges of the pan, crimping at the top so that it is secure. Repeat with a second and third sheet of foil**.
2. Use a food processor to pulse the gingersnaps into fine crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 5 tablespoons of melted butter. Combine well.
3. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a glass to press it into an even layer. Avoid making a side crust as it can burn during torching.
4. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Be careful not to tear the foil.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).

For the cheesecake:

1. Place the round springform pan inside an oven-safe bag (like one for cooking a turkey) and roll the top of the bag down so it doesn’t cover the cheesecake. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese for 4 minutes, making sure to scrape the sides.
3. Add 1 & 1/3 cups of sugar, vanilla bean paste, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Beat for another 4 minutes, scraping sides.
4. In a small pot, heat the cream over medium-low heat until it is warm (do not let it boil).
5. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks for about 2 minutes until they are pale.
6. Pour the heated cream through a fine mesh strainer into a large pourable glass measuring cup (or anything that pours). While the beaters are on, slowly add the warm cream to the egg yolks. If you are not mixing while you do this, the eggs will curdle.
7. Once all of the hot cream has been incorporated with the egg yolks, slowly pour that into the cream cheese mixture while beating. Scrape the sides and ensure all lumps are removed. The batter will be thin.
8. Transfer the foil-wrapped crust into a large high-sided skillet or roasting pan. Pour the batter into the gingersnap crust, forming an even layer on top.
9. Fill the skillet or roasting pan with hot tap water to at least halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Carefully transfer the water bath to the oven.
10. Bake at 325°F for about 1 hour and 35 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center wobbles slightly when shaken. The edges should be firmer than the center.
11. Turn off the oven and crack the door. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature inside the oven (60-90 minutes).
12. Once cooled to room temperature, remove the cheesecake from the oven, water bath, and foil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

For the chocolate ganache:

1. Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 minute, then stir until well combined. Allow to cool for 5-7 minutes before adding to the cheesecake.

To assemble:

1. Before serving, remove the plastic wrap and carefully loosen the sides of the pan. Release the spring very slowly.
2. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of superfine sugar all over the top of the cheesecake. Use a torch to caramelize the sugar. This can take several minutes if torching the entire cheesecake. Keep the torch moving at all times until the sugar starts to bubble and smoke.
3. Let sit for a minute for the sugar to harden. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
4. Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes:

• *You don’t have to use gingersnaps! You can use 1 & 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs or Nilla Wafer crumbs.
• **You can also use 1 vanilla bean. Scrape the pod and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Throw the remaining bean in with the cream when you heat it, to soak up all the flavor.
• ***The foil is to keep your cheesecake dry since it will be baked in a water bath. Three layers of foil may seem excessive, but it's worth the cost to prevent a soggy crust.
• ****To make superfine sugar, blend regular sugar in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds or so. Smaller granules help the sugar melt faster when torching. Regular sugar will still work fine though.

Enjoy making and sharing this delightful cheesecake!