Hawaiian Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium ripe pineapple (4 pound range)
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Recipe

• 1 to make crust: preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• 2 butter a 10-inch springform pan and dust with granulated sugar-knock out excess.
• 3 in a shallow baking pan toast nuts in middle of oven until golden, around 6-7 minutes.
• 4 be careful though, they can burn fast.
• 5 finely chop nuts and transfer to a bowl.
• 6 stir in a pinch of salt and all remaining ingredients except butter.
• 7 mix well.
• 8 melt butter and drizzle over crust mixture, tossing with a fork.
• 9 transfer mixture to the prepared pan and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 the way up the sides of pan.
• 10 bake crust in middle of oven for 10 minutes.
• 11 remove and cool on a wire rack.
• 12 set aside.
• 13 reduce oven to 325 degrees.
• 14 to make filling: peel and core pineapple.
• 15 cut pineapple into 1/4 inch dice and in a 3 quart saucepan cook with brown sugar over medium low heat, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.
• 16 you want it cooked down and almost dry-on the sticky side.
• 17 in a large bowl beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy.
• 18 add creme fraiche and pineapple, beating until well combined.
• 19 add eggs 1 at a time, beating at low speed after each addition until just combined.
• 20 pour filling into crust, smoothing top and bake on a baking sheet in middle of oven until filling is set and top is lightly browned, around 80 minutes.
• 21 transfer cake in pan to a wire rack and cool completely.
• 22 cover with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
• 23 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 24 remove cake from fridge, remove plastic wrap and run a knife around sides.
• 25 remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving platter.
• 26 in a baking pan toast coconut and 1/4 cup of chopped macadamia nuts, stirring occasionally until golden-around 8 minutes.
• 27 cool.
• 28 in a bowl stir together sour cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla.
• 29 spread sour cream mixture gently over top of cake.
• 30 sprinkle toasted coconut-macadamia nut mixture over top of sour-cream mixture.