Chocolate Nutty Crust Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

• 4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup walnuts, crushed

Filling

• 4 cups cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1/4 cup milk

Topping

• 3/4 cup Chocolate, shaved

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Put the cookies crumbs into a food processor with the flour and pulse to combine. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined, Stir in nuts.
3. Press crumbs into the bottom of the 9′” springform pan and up the sides of the pan.
4. In a small pot. put the milk and split vanilla bean. Heat the milk to a low boil. Turn off the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and scrape out seeds into the milk.
5. For the filling, put the cream cheese into a mixing bowl, Add in the sugar and beat until combined with the cream cheese and very smooth. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl, and with the mixer on, slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Turn it on again and add in the milk with the vanilla beans, beat until combined.
6. Pour the filling into the pan with the crust. Place the pan on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 1 hour or until set but still soft and jiggly in the center.
8. Remove, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
9. Top with Chocolate shavings to serve.