I have made this several times, and it always disappears in a flash. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Caryn Wiggins
Pina Colada Cheesecake
Coco-Nut Crust (recipe follows)
2-1/4 pounds (1015 g) cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 cup (180 ml) juice-packed (unsweetened) crushed canned pineapple, drained well, 1/2 cup (125 ml) juice reserved
1/3 cup (80 ml) Cocoribe or other name brand of coconut-rum liqueur
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream
1-1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
2 slices (3/16 inch thick or 0.5 cm thick) fresh pineapple, if desired, for garnish
1) Prepare Coco-Nut Crust. (Recipe below)
2) Place oven rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3) Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until completely smooth. Continue beating while gradually adding the sugar, a Tablespoon at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; beat until the sugar is absorbed.
4) Add eggs, about 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.
5) Beat in sour cream and then crushed pineapple. Gradually beat in reserved pineapple juice and the liqueur until blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. (Batter will be thin.)
5) Pour batter into baked and cooled Coco-Nut Crust. Gently rotate foil-lined pan several quarter-turns to settle batter. Place foil-lined cheesecake pan into larger pan with sides and add boiling water to larger pan until water level is halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake in a 325-degree oven for approximately 70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 to 150 degrees when inserted into the middle of the cheesecake filling.
6) Remove cheesecake from oven and set it on a cake rack, keeping it in the water bath, for an additional 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from water bath and discard aluminum foil.
7) Set cheesecake back on cake rack, keep away from drafts and allow to cool to room temperature, about 3 to 4 hours.
smileys/bigeyes.gif Refrigerate uncovered cheesecake overnight, or at least 8 hours. Cover cheesecake loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate until serving time.
9) Make optional garnish just before serving==> Pare and core fresh pineapple into thin slices; cut out eyes of pineapple making small notches in outer edge of slices. Cut slices into quarters. Place 6 to 8 pineapple quarters in border around top outside edge of cheesecake. Cut cheesecake into 16 slices and serve with additional fresh pineapple and/or sprigs of pineapple mint.
Coco-Nut Crust
Approximately 2 Tablespoons (22 to 30 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
1 generous cup desiccated flaked coconut (This is unsweetened coconut and can be purchased at candy supply stores).
1 cup (250 ml) ground toasted Brazil or filbert nuts. (I prefer using unsalted toasted macadamia nuts in this crust, but Brazil or filbert nuts are also good.)
1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) to 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature.
1) Place oven rack in center of oven; heat to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan evenly with unmelted butter; set aside.
2) Stir coconut, nuts and sugar together in medium bowl (I use my food processor). Drizzle melted butter over nut mixture. Stir and toss mixture vigorously with fork until slightly darkened and uniform.
3) Press nut mixture evenly on sides and bottom of reserved pan. Refrigerate 5 minutes. Bake crust 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature before filling, about 30 minutes.
4) Wrap springform pan in several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil before filling and baking so water won't seep into cheesecake from the bain de marie. **NOTE: Remember to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees before baking the filled crust.
Source: THE PERFECT CHEESECAKE by The Editors of Consumer Guide (as edited by Caryn Wiggins).
Pina Colada Cheesecake
Coco-Nut Crust (recipe follows)
2-1/4 pounds (1015 g) cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 cup (180 ml) juice-packed (unsweetened) crushed canned pineapple, drained well, 1/2 cup (125 ml) juice reserved
1/3 cup (80 ml) Cocoribe or other name brand of coconut-rum liqueur
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream
1-1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
2 slices (3/16 inch thick or 0.5 cm thick) fresh pineapple, if desired, for garnish
1) Prepare Coco-Nut Crust. (Recipe below)
2) Place oven rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3) Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until completely smooth. Continue beating while gradually adding the sugar, a Tablespoon at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; beat until the sugar is absorbed.
4) Add eggs, about 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.
5) Beat in sour cream and then crushed pineapple. Gradually beat in reserved pineapple juice and the liqueur until blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. (Batter will be thin.)
5) Pour batter into baked and cooled Coco-Nut Crust. Gently rotate foil-lined pan several quarter-turns to settle batter. Place foil-lined cheesecake pan into larger pan with sides and add boiling water to larger pan until water level is halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake in a 325-degree oven for approximately 70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 145 to 150 degrees when inserted into the middle of the cheesecake filling.
6) Remove cheesecake from oven and set it on a cake rack, keeping it in the water bath, for an additional 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from water bath and discard aluminum foil.
7) Set cheesecake back on cake rack, keep away from drafts and allow to cool to room temperature, about 3 to 4 hours.
smileys/bigeyes.gif Refrigerate uncovered cheesecake overnight, or at least 8 hours. Cover cheesecake loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate until serving time.
9) Make optional garnish just before serving==> Pare and core fresh pineapple into thin slices; cut out eyes of pineapple making small notches in outer edge of slices. Cut slices into quarters. Place 6 to 8 pineapple quarters in border around top outside edge of cheesecake. Cut cheesecake into 16 slices and serve with additional fresh pineapple and/or sprigs of pineapple mint.
Coco-Nut Crust
Approximately 2 Tablespoons (22 to 30 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature.
1 generous cup desiccated flaked coconut (This is unsweetened coconut and can be purchased at candy supply stores).
1 cup (250 ml) ground toasted Brazil or filbert nuts. (I prefer using unsalted toasted macadamia nuts in this crust, but Brazil or filbert nuts are also good.)
1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) to 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature.
1) Place oven rack in center of oven; heat to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan evenly with unmelted butter; set aside.
2) Stir coconut, nuts and sugar together in medium bowl (I use my food processor). Drizzle melted butter over nut mixture. Stir and toss mixture vigorously with fork until slightly darkened and uniform.
3) Press nut mixture evenly on sides and bottom of reserved pan. Refrigerate 5 minutes. Bake crust 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature before filling, about 30 minutes.
4) Wrap springform pan in several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil before filling and baking so water won't seep into cheesecake from the bain de marie. **NOTE: Remember to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees before baking the filled crust.
Source: THE PERFECT CHEESECAKE by The Editors of Consumer Guide (as edited by Caryn Wiggins).