By request, here's the recipe for the dessert we served at the lunch celebrating Class 58's graduation:
(Makes 1 - 10” Cheesecake)
For the crust:
1½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
¼ cup coconut flakes, toasted
¼ cup tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
For the filling:
24 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup cream of coconut (make sure it’s CREAM OF COCONUT, not coconut milk)
1 Tbsp rum extract
1 Tbsp coconut extract
For the glaze:
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp pineapple juice
1 cup crushed pineapple
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Stir together crust ingredients and press into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a lightly greased 10-inch Springform pan. Bake the crust at 350º F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Lower the oven temperature to 325º F.
Beat the cream cheese and ½ cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the pineapple, cream of coconut, rum extract, and coconut extract, beating until blended. Pour mixture into crust. Bake cheesecake at 325° for 1 hour or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack.
Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon pineapple juice until smooth. Combine cornstarch mixture, crushed pineapple, ¼ cup sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, five minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and cool completely. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cheesecake and chill for at least six hours before serving.
