COCONUT CREAM PIE CHEESECAKE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Inactive/Cool time: 4 hours – overnight
Serving Size: 8-10

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 4 Cups coconut cookies, crushed finely
  • 10 Tbs butter, melted
  • 3 Tbs sugar

Cheesecake Filling:

  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 15 oz can coconut cream
  • 4 8oz packages Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
  • 8 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 Cups sugar
  • 2 Tbs cornstarch
  • 2 Tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tsp grated lemon zest

Topping:

  • 1 Cup toasted coconut
  • whipped cream to top

Directions:

Crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter spring form pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place cookies in a blender and pulse well, add butter and sugar and mix well. Place crust mixture in pan and with the back of a measuring cup, tap mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan. This is enough mixture to go halfway up the sides of the pan.
  3. Bake for 13 minutes, set aside to cool.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees (for your filling).
  5. Wrap a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil tightly around the outside bottom and sides, crimping and pleating the foil to make it conform to the pan.
  6. This will help to prevent water seeping into the pan.

Cheesecake Filling:

  1. Beat the eggs and coconut cream until well blended about 1 minute.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with the butter until smooth and creamy. Add this to the egg-coconut cream mixture and beat until smooth.
  3. Add the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat thoroughly, about 2 minutes.
  4. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in a roasting pan (or other pan) large enough to prevent the sides from touching.
  5. Place in the oven and carefully pour in enough very hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of the spring form pan.
  6. Bake for 2 hours, 15 minutes, or until the cake is very lightly colored and a knife inserted in the center emerges clean.
  7. Remove from the water bath and carefully peel the aluminum foil from around the pan.
  8. Allow cheesecake to stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 4 hours.
  9. Place cheesecake in the refrigerator uncovered and chill overnight.

Topping:

  1. Top cheesecake with toasted coconut and whipped cream, and serve!

Notes:

  1. To toast coconut place 1 cup of sweet shredded coconut into a dry pan over medium low heat, stir constantly until coconut begins to brown. Don’t burn, remove from heat and continue to stir, allow to cool before placing on your cheesecake