Coconut Almond Cheesecake

Photo: Andie Mitchell

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (about 2 ounces)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

1 tablespoon coconut extract

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Glaze

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with foil.

Finely grind cracker crumbs, coconut, almonds and sugar in food processor. Add butter; process until moist crumbs form. Press mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan. Bake crust until set and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Mix in coconut and extract . Fold in almonds. Transfer filling to crust. Bake until cake is puffed and no longer moves when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

For glaze: Combine 1 cup chocolate chips, cream and vanilla in small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Cool until glaze begins to thicken but can still be poured, about 30 minutes. Pour glaze over cooled cake; spread evenly. Chill cake overnight.

Run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Release pan sides.

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About

An Almond Joy-inspired cheesecake. A puffed layer of sweet coconut-scented cream cheese, set atop a buttered graham cracker-almond crust, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. Sprinkled with toasted coconut, because we could always use a little more decadence in our lives... and because taupe was missing in our color palette.

Recipe from Epicurious, found here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Almond-Joy-Cheesecake-4999