Italian Cream Cheesecake

This past weekend, I attended a surprise birthday dinner for one of my long lost friends. Why is she long and lost?

BECAUSE OF LIFE.

This group used to get together a lot more often, especially with girls’ night out than we do now. We used to have random dance parties at someone’s house after we all brought over a ton of appetizers, desserts, and liquid courage. Those gatherings were a LOT of fun. I would go home from those parties with my face and stomach sore from laughing, my voice hoarse from talking, cheering, and yelling, and sleep in the next morning until my bladder forced me to get out of bed.

These days, I might see the group once a year…if I’m lucky. The kids belonging to our group range in age from 1 to 23, so many of us are in different phases of our lives. It’s amazing how you don’t realize how much you miss seeing someone until you get a chance to spend time with them again.

I embarrassed myself, as usual.

When one of the girls and I were talking about food and dessert, she said, “I’m allergic to sweets.”

I was blown away. How did I not know this?

“You are??” I cried in panic.

“Yeah. They make my hips swell.”

Y’ALL. My eyes could not have rolled farther back into my head than they already did. I wasn’t rolling my eyes at her silly (yet entertaining) joke, I was rolling my eyes at the fact that I fell for this so badly. She started laughing and picking on me for falling for it. I shrugged, smiled, then stuffed my mouth with a big bite of birthday cake, followed by the rest of my Apple Martini…officially cutting myself off after that.

She laughed and cried, “I can’t believe you fell for that!!”

I blamed the martinis.

Here is a recipe for an Italian Cream Cheesecake that I created after being unable to find one on the grand ole interweb. There is a possibility it could make the hips swell, even if you aren’t allergic to sweets.

Italian Cream Cheesecake

For the Crust:

1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (make this Gluten-Free by using GF graham cracker crumbs or Almond Flour)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

¼ cup cornstarch

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup frozen grated coconut, thawed

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2/3 cup heavy cream

½ cup chopped pecans

For the Topping:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup frozen grated coconut, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Double-wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, place inside a 12 inch cake pan. Place graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small mixing bowl, toss together. Add the melted butter and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Rub butter all along the bottom of the springform pan, then press graham cracker mixture evenly along the bottom. Place pans in the oven to bake for 7 minutes, remove pans from oven and set aside.

In a standing mixer, add 8 oz. cream cheese, cornstarch, grated coconut, and 2/3 cups sugar. Beat at medium speed with the paddle attachment until mixture is smooth. Add another 8 oz. cream cheese, along with 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until smooth. Add remaining cream cheese and granulated sugar, one at a time, until smooth. Slow mixer to stirring speed, add extracts and one egg at a time, scraping down the sides with a spatula. Turn on to stirring speed and slowly add heavy cream and beat just until mixed in (do not overmix). Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Spoon batter into springform pan on top of graham cracker crust and spread into an even layer.

Pour warm water into the larger cake pan, creating a water bath (this prevents cracks). The water should come up at least 1 inch around the springform pan. Carefully place pans in oven and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove pans from oven, pull the springform pan out of the larger pan and place on a cooling rack for about 4 hours to cool completely. Remove aluminum foil from around pan.

Cover springform pan with plastic wrap and place in freezer to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Remove plastic wrap from springform pan, release and remove sides of springform. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper on top of cheesecake, turn upside down onto a flat surface. Carefully remove bottom of pan, turn back over onto a serving plate.

In a small mixing bowl, combine 4 oz. cream cheese and 4 oz. whipped topping. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth, spread into an even layer on top of cheesecake. Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans and 1/4 cup grated coconut on top. Return to freezer for about 30 minutes to set.

Place cheesecake on a cutting board and cut into slices with a sharp, straight edged knife, wiping knife between each cut. Store cheesecake in refrigerator until ready to serve for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.