TARO BRAND POI CHEESECAKE WITH DIAMOND BAKERY COCONUT GRAHAM CRUST

Ingredients:

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1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or fresh frozen Taro Brand poi

2 eggs, room temperature

purple food coloring (optional)

 

Crust

4.5 ounces Diamond Bakery coconut graham crackers (about 32 squares), crumbs

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

 

Filling

In a medium bowl cream powdered sugar and cream cheese using an electric mixer.  Add vanilla extract and poi and mix for 1-2 minutes. Separate eggs and add egg yolks to poi mixture and blend well.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold egg whites into poi mixture.  Optional, add purple food coloring to desired tint. Save about 1/2 cup of the filling for later use.

 

Crust

In a food processor, add graham crackers.  Turn food processor on until fine crumbs are achieved.  With processor still on, add sugar and slowly add small pieces of cold butter into the food processor.  The crumb mixture should have the consistency of wet sand.

 

Assemble:

Press graham cracker crumb mixture into 4″ mini spring form pans.  Press crumb mixture into spring form pan to form a loose crust.  Fill spring form molds about 3/4 with cheesecake filling.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake in a waterbath for 35 minutes.  Once cooking is completed, turn oven off and pop oven door open and allow cheesecake to remain in oven for 30 minutes.  This will help prevent cheesecake from cracking.  After 30 minutes, remove cheesecakes from oven and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before chilling.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

 

Service:

To serve, run hot water on outer edges of spring form pan.  You will see the cheesecake separate from the mold.  Gently remove cheesecake from spring form pan and plate.  Pour some of the reserved cheesecake filling over the cheesecake, garnish with whipped cream, fruit and leftover graham cracker crumbs.