June 19, 2006

Chocolate Coconut Almond Cheesecake

cheesecakes, chocolate  // 
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For Father’s Day, my father said he wanted cheesecake. Flipping through my very favorite cheesecake book, I Love Cheesecake by Mary Crownover, I found what I had to make for him. Chocolate Coconut Almond Cheesecake. Essentially, it’s an Almond Joy cheesecake. This I knew he would love. His aunt used to make him a cake very similar to this every year for his birthday. I actually found her recipe for that cake the other day, but I’ll save that one for another day.

Before I go any further, I want to emphasize how good this cookbook is. No, there aren’t many pictures, as some like to have in their cookbook, but I have yet to make a recipe from this book that didn’t work perfectly. So, do yourself a favor. If you like cheesecakes, buy this book.

The cheesecake turned out beautifully, without a crack in sight. It did, indeed, taste very much like an Almond Joy candy bar. The consistency was wonderful – very creamy. The topping was rich and complemented the cheesecake nicely.

Yield: 12-16 servings

Chocolate Coconut Almond Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 18 Oreos, crushed*
  • 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons toasted almonds**

For the filling:

  • 24 ounces (680g) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons corn starch
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup cream of coconut***
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 & 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2/3 cup (57g) flaked or freshly grated coconut
  • 1/2 cup (57g) chopped toasted almonds

For the topping:

  • 1 cup (170g) milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
  • flaked or freshly grated coconut, for garnish
  • chopped toasted almonds, for garnish

Instructions

To make the crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Mix together the crushed Oreos and melted butter. Press the mixture into bottom of the prepared pan.

To make the filling:

  1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and corn starch until well-blended. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the cream of coconut, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in the coconut and almonds.
  2. Pour the filling onto the partially baked crust. If necessary tilt the pan gently or use a spatula to spread evenly.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Bake for 2 hours or until the cheesecake is set.
  5. Run a thin knife around the edges of the pan. Turn off the oven and return the cheesecake to the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 2 hours.
  6. Then, remove cheesecake from oven, cover the cheesecake, and chill overnight.

To make the topping:

  1. Combine the chocolate chips, sour cream, and confectioners' sugar in a medium saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly.
  2. Once the mixture is melted and smooth, spread over the chilled cheesecake. Garnish with coconut and chopped almonds.
  3. Chill the cheesecake until ready to serve.

Notes

*Any cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie will work. You could also use chocolate wafer cookies (like Nabisco) or chocolate graham crackers.

**To toast almonds, place them on a lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or until toasted.

***Please note that this is cream of coconut, not coconut cream or coconut milk. Cream of coconut is thicker than coconut milk and sweeter than coconut cream.

Recipe slightly adapted from I Love Cheesecake.

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© Jennifer McHenry
Category: cheesecakes

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