Pina Colada Cheesecake

Weekends are funnily busier than weekdays, but I still managed to sneak in some cooking.

I have been wanting to try out a boozy cheesecake - after going through my recipes I narrowed down to a Margherita Cheesecake.  Very happily I go to the bar and yikes.....where is the tequila ?  All I see in an empty bottle :(

Since I was determined to make something I quickly switched to my second option, a Pina Colada Cheesecake.

I love coconut and pineapple so it was not really a bad second choice.  Honestly it should have been my first.

I used the digestive biscuits to make the base [no coconut macaroons in the house] and added in some coconut instead.  For the filling I made the cheesecake using coconut cream, rum, regular whipping cream, pineapple juice and pineapple chunks.  And the topping was pineapple.  The since I felt it looked very plain I caramalised the pineapple and topped it with the same.

All in all it was a good dessert, a true representation of the drink without going overboard on the alcohol.  And yes it can be made minus the alcohol also.

Recipe

Crust:
1 1/2 cup digestive biscuits
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine ingredients. Press mixture evenly over bottom and up sides of 8 or 9-inch springform pan.  Put in the refrigerator to chill.

Filling:

200 gms cream cheese

300 gms cream

200 ml coconut milk

2 tbsp rum [optional]

1/2 cup sugar, powdered

1 tin pineapple slices

5 tsp gelatin

From the pineapple tin, use the juice, adding water if required to make it one cup

Sprinkle gelatin over the pineapple juice and set aside to bloom for at least 15 min.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar.  

Mix in the coconut milk and rum to blend well

Place the gelatin pineapple mix over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. 

Gradually beat hot gelatin mixture into cheese mix

In medium bowl, beat cream until fluffy. 

Fold into cheese mixture, until well blended. 

Cut up 2 slices of pineapple into small bits, and fold into the mix.

Pour over the crust and Refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Pour on the pineapple toffee topping and serve.

Topping

1 can pineapple slices

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp water

1 tbsp butter

Heat the sugar and water on low till sugar melts

Stir in the butter and let it boil to a good caramel colour

Add the pineapple slices to coat well