Tropical Cheesecake with Coconut Shortbread Crust

Ingredients

• 12 servings coconut flakes unsweetened lightly toasted
• 16 ounce cream cheese room temperature
• 4 large eggs 
• 12 servings fruit fresh
• 8 ounces shortbread cookies ( 30)
• 8 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese fresh room temperature
• 1.5 cups cream sour
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1  vanilla pod split
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• hand mixer
• springform pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Finely grind cookies in processor. Press crumbs (about 1 1/2 cups) over bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-high sides (layer will be thin).
2. Bake until crust is crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool on rack while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.
3. Using electric mixer, beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until smooth. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended.
4. Pour filling over crust in pan (mixture will not fill pan).
5. Bake cake until filling is just set and puffed around edges, about 45 minutes (cake may crack).
6. Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend; spread over top of hot cake. Return cake to oven and bake 5 minutes. Run small knife between top edge of cake and pan. Chill cake uncovered overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
7. Release pan sides.
8. Sprinkle toasted coconut chips around top edge of cake.
9. Serve cake with tropical fruits.
10. *Fromage blanc is sold at cheese stores, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.
11. **Fresh ricotta cheese is sold at Italian markets and some supermarkets.
12. ***Unsweetened coconut chips are available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.