Shelly's Recipe

PINA COLADA CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

Filling:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup sugar
1 (6 oz) can pineapple juice
3 eggs, separated
3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup dark Jamaican rum
1/4 tsp coconut extract

Topping:
2 (8 oz) cans crushed pineapple in syrup
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

Crust:
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/3 cup butter, melted

Crust: combine ingredients. Mix well. Press mixture evenly over bottom and sides of an 8 or 9 inch pan. Chill.

Filling: mix gelatin and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan. Add pineapple juice. Let stand until gelatin has softened. Place over low heat; stir until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat. In large bowl, beat egg yolks well. Gradually beat hot gelatin mixtures into egg yolks. Let cool.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffly. Add to gelatin mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in rum and coconut extract. Refrigerate gelatin mixture to chill. Stir frequently as mixture thickens. When gelatin mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg whites, remove from refrigerator.

In large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. While beating, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until whites hold stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into thickened gelatin mixture. Turn into prepared crust. Refrigerate for 6 hours or as long as overnight.

Topping: combine ingredients in saucepan. Stir until cornstarch dissolves. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Chill. Spoon sauce over top of cheesecake.