Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Preheat oven to 325 °. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and orange peel; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream. Split vanilla bean lengthwise; using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center into cream cheese mixture. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. For topping, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips; stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature or until mixture thickens to spreading consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove rim from springform pan. Spread chocolate mixture over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour longer or until set. Top cheesecake with raspberries before serving.