Coconut Cheesecake

I'm a sucker for CHEESECAKES! I love all of them. No exceptions, no... actually except the ones that don't taste good... I have a few great cheesecake recipes I tried and I like. One of them is this awesome coconut cheesecake I found on-line. You can serve it with all kinds of fresh fruit, or fruit puree, tastes great with a tropical flavor like mango. Or if you like it plain, like my husband (he's not a big fruit fan) it will taste just fine. The recipe is very simple and easy.



Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Wrap outside of 9 inch diameter spring-form pan with aluminum foil. Mix graham crackers crumbs, coconut and sugar in the medium bowl, add butter and mix to blend. Press mixture to bottom and sides of prepared pan. (I usually bake it for 10-15 minutes in the oven before I pour cheese mixture)

Cheese filling:
32 oz cream cheese (room temp)
3/4 cup of sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended (believe me you need the largest bowl you have...), add eggs 1 at a time,beating after each addition. Beat in egg yolk. Add cream of coconut, whipping cream and shredded coconut**, beat until blended. Pour into crust. Bake cheesecake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Serve with purred mango. YUMMM... raspberries or anything you want...

** shredded coconut can be stringy, and I actually did not like it, I like my cheesecake smooth, so I think next time I make it, I will either skip the coconut completely or maybe run it through the food processor...