Tropical Cheesecake With Coconut Shortbread Crust Recipes

NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE ON SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• PREP------.
• As with all baking, have all your ingredients at a cool room temperature (65°F).
• Get a couple quarts of water boiling on the stove.
• Arrange racks in your oven so there's one on the lowest and one in the middle. If you do not have a center position then go mid-lower.
• Have a clean 10x14x2-inch (give or take) roasting pan ready.
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Grease 10 inch springform pan.
• CRUST-------.
• Gently combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl.
• Spread to the edges of the pan.
• Prick all over with a fork, then bake 10-15 minutes at 400°F until lightly browned. Allow to cool on a rack.
• FILLING------.
• Increase oven temperature to 475°F.
• Turn oven light off (trust me on this one), place roasting pan on bottom rack and fill with boiling water.
• In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer), very gently beat cream cheese until smooth. I use the slowest setting for 5 minutes.
• Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Gradually add the salt, 1 3/4 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons flour -- continue to beat SLOWLY until well combined, scrape down sides of bowl.
• In a small bowl gently beat the vanilla, 5 eggs and the 2 yolks, gradually add eggs to the cream cheese mixture.
• Continue to stir until combined and smooth, stop mixer occasionally and scrape down sides.
• VERY IMPORTANT! Stop mixer, remove bowl and give it a good scraping (some of the cream cheese will stick to the sides and bottom of the bowl), replace bowl on mixer and stir until all lumps are gone.
• Add cream and mix only enough to blend.
• Gently pour filling over crust, run a thin knife around the filling in a S pattern to remove any trapped air bubbles. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes then do it again.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 475°F.
• Reduce temperature to 200°F and continue to bake for one hour.
• Turn oven off, but leave cake in for another hour.
• DON'T TOUCH THAT OVEN DOOR! You've created a nice, humid environment that will help prevent cracks and produce a perfect, professional, NY style cheese cake assuming you didn't mess with it by changing the atmospheric conditions.
• It may appear a little jiggly in the center and will have a golden appearance around the edges.
• Allow to cool on a rack for several hours, release the latch slightly on the side of the pan after 20 minutes, rotate sides to be sure the cake is free (but don't take it off yet), you can remove the sides after an hour (or so) if you want to admire your work, but replace it quickly or the cake may fall.
• After it's cool, wrap completely with plastic wrap, there should be a layer stuck to the top of the cake.
• Chill overnight in the refrigerator (Yes, this is required).
• The cake will stay at peak flavor for several days so long as you keep it wrapped and cold.
• What can go wrong?.
• If the cake cracks you either had your ingredients too cold, mixed the filling too vigorously, opened the oven door while the cake was cooking or didn't have a pan of water in the oven.
• If it does crack, don't despair -- just cover with a dark fruit or a layer of cookie crumbs.
• Toppings------.
• Nothing (my favorite).
• OR, boil a bag of frozen berries with a 1/4 cup of sugar until the liquid coats the back of a spoon, thicken with a table spoon of cornstarch mixed into a 1/4 cup of cold water -- Pour in slowly while maintaining the boil and stirring constantly.
• Adjust thickness by adding liquid or more cornstarch.
• Flavor with liqueur, fruit juice or extract.
• Blueberries or raspberries with Chambord is awesome, cherries work well with Frangelico or Amaretto. If you do use an alcoholic beverage, be sure to boil off alcohol. Cool fruit sauce in a mason jar and refrigerate. Keeps longer than the cheese cake!
• I've served it with caramel sauce and, buttered/sliced/baked apples .
• A light milk chocolate sauce, a sprinkle of chopped pecans and dollop of whipped cream will produce a nice turtle cake.

TROPICAL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spray bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap foil around outside of pan to catch drips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, the oil, 1 egg and lime peel with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom and 2 inches up side of pan.
• In same large bowl, beat reserved 1/4 cup cake mix, the cream cheese, sugar, cream of coconut and rum extract on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until mixed. Pour into crust.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; remove cheesecake from oven and run metal spatula around edge to loosen. Return cheesecake to oven; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes (top may crack as it cools).
• Remove cheesecake from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run metal spatula around edge of pan again to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 2 hours. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, run metal spatula around edge of pan again and remove side of pan. Arrange mango and kiwifruit on top of cheesecake. Sprinkle with coconut. Store covered in refrigerator.

LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes.
• Add flour and ground cookies to the mixture and blend for 3-4 seconds until fully incorporated.
• Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake the crust at 350° F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Allow the crust to cool completely.
• Make cheesecake:.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and smooth.
• Add the mascarpone cheese and sugar and continue to beat on medium speed.
• Add the eggs one at a time.
• Blend in the lemon zest and juice.
• Pour mixture into the cooled crust.
• Set the cheesecake pan into a roasting pan, and add enough water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of the cheesecake pan.
• Place in a 350° F oven for approximately one hour or until the cake is set and the top is golden brown.
• Remove the cake from the roasting pan and place on a wire rack.
• Allow cake to cool slightly, then place the cake in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

GRANDMOTHER'S CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon peel, and 1 teaspoon orange peel. Split a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean; scrape seeds into flour mixture. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add 1 egg yolk; stir until all flour is moistened. Gather dough into ball, wrap in wax paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick; trim to a 10 inch circle. Reserve pastry trimmings. Press pastry circle into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9 inch buttered springform pan. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake crust for 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
• Beat cream cheese, 1 3/4 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel and 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel in large mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Split a 1 inch piece of vanilla bean and scrape seeds into cream cheese mixture. Beat in 5 eggs and 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time, on medium speed. Stir in cream.
• Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Roll out reserved pastry trimmings on lightly floured board; cut into strips 2 inches wide. Pat strips up side of pan, pressing dough lightly to baked crust. Pour filling into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR! Bake until cheesecake is firm in center, about 50 minutes. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven with door slightly open for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

CONTEST-WINNING TROPICAL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine coconut and almonds; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. , In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cornstarch and beat well. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Add sour cream, lemon juice and extract; beat just until blended. Pour over crust. , Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. , In a small saucepan, melt preserves, stirring to break up any apricot pieces. Arrange pineapple and kiwi on top of cheesecake. Brush preserves over fruit and on sides of cheese cake. Press coconut onto the sides of the cheesecake. Chill until serving.

TROPICAL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk or electric mixer until well blended.
• Add whipped topping; stir gently until well blended. Reserve 1/4 cup each kiwi, mango and coconut for garnish. Stir remaining kiwi, mango and coconut into cream cheese mixture. Spoon into crust.
• Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Top with reserved mango, kiwi and coconut. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

COCONUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap each in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured work surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps and reroll; cut out additional cookies. Repeat procedure with remaining dough disk until all of dough is used.
• Bake cookies until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.)
• *Available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

TROPICAL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Stir in pineapple. In another bowl, combine dessert topping mix with milk and vanilla; beat until stiff. Fold into pineapple mixture. Spread evenly into crust. Chill.