Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Coconut Crust

My friend Patsy just came back from Jakarta, Indonesia and she brought me fresh vanilla pods. I created this recipe to take advantage of my gift.

For the crust,
1 cup shredded graham crackers
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (I love Trader Joe’s)
3 tablespoon melted butter

Filling for one 8″ cheesecake,
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 8-ounces cream cheese
2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I like Costco or Penzeys)
3 eggs room temperature

Topping optional,
Whipped Cream top with shredded sweetened coconut (I used Whole Foods made in store whipped cream)

For the crust mix all ingredients well. Pour into pan and press down to compact crust.

In a large bowl mix sugar, sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla. Using an electric blender, beat cream cheese until creamy. Fold one egg at a time until mix without over mixing. Pour the mixture into the coconut crust. Place dish onto oven. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Let it cool at room temperature and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or until time to serve.