Pineapple-Coconut Cheesecake: this small glazed cheesecake fits in an 8" springform pan

Pineapple-Coconut Cheesecake

A delicious combination of pineapple, coconut, and cocoa make this cheesecake delightful! Make it a day ahead so that the glaze has time to set thoroughly.

For the neatest presentation, line an 8” springform pan with parchment: cut a square 5-6” larger than the width of the pan; this works well with a light gauge parchment, such as a discount brand. Press the parchment into the bottom of the pan, crimping the sides to fit neatly. Trim top edges if desired. This will make it easy to remove the cake to a serving platter or marble lazy Susan.

Coconut Crust:

1 cup flour

¼ cup sugar

½ cup butter

½ cup coconut

2 tbls cocoa

Filling:

1 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1 egg

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup buttermilk

4 tbls flour (or part coconut flour)

½ tsp vanilla or rum

¼ tsp coconut extract (optional)

Pineapple Glaze:

2 cups cubed pineapple, fresh or canned

1/2 cup pineapple juice and/or rum

¼ cup sugar

2 tbls cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350° F with pans of water on bottom rack and second rack in the middle.

In a medium bowl, mix flour and sugar for crust. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender to resemble coarse meal, then stir in the coconut. Press into the bottom of an 8” springform pan lined with parchment.

If you prefer to use a food processor to prepare the crust, freeze the butter in cubes that will fit through the feed tube. Grind granulated sugar with the blade attachment for one minute for superfine sugar. Add shredded coconut and process one minute more, then the flour for a few seconds. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt with the flour. Empty the dry mixture into a small bowl.

Attach grater blade to food processor and feed butter cubes through feed tube, pulsing until butter is shredded. This works better than grating frozen butter by hand because it is quicker, so the butter doesn’t have time to defrost. Stir the butter into the dry mixture, then press into bottom of springform pan. Bake at 350° F for 10-15 minutes, until the coconut is toasted, and cool on a wire rack.

Have filling ingredients at room temperature. Cream the cheese at low speed and blend in the sugar; then, add egg and vanilla. Blend in the buttermilk alternately with the flour, starting and ending with flour. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and continue to beat gently until the filling makes a smooth batter.

Pour batter into prepared springform pan and shake gently to settle or rap on counter a few times. Place in preheated oven for forty minutes without opening the oven door; turn heat off and allow cake to cool slowly for an hour, then open oven door slightly for half an hour. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Soft Strawberries by Gourmand2go

Puré 2 cups of fresh pineapple cubes in food processor with pineapple juice or rum, or a combination of juice and rum. Orange or mango juice can be substituted. Otherwise, use tinned crushed pineapple and syrup. In a small saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch, then pineapple mixture. Cook on medium heat stirring until glaze bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. When the cornstarch has cooked the glaze will lose its white opacity and have a translucent appearance. Set aside to cool.

When both the cake and the glaze are only slightly warm, pour the glaze over the cake and allow it to flow to the edges. Place in refrigerator until chilled, then cover with plastic film or place in a cake container. Allow cake to set over night or for roughly 6 hours.

Once thoroughly chilled, the cake pan and parchment may be easily removed and the cake placed on a plate or lazy Susan. A marble lazy Susan is perfect for keeping the cake cool at the table and may be placed in the refrigerator covered with the top of a cake container.