PINEAPPLE PASSION CHEESECAKE

Yesterday I made yet ANOTHER dessert. This time I made a Passion Fruit (Lilikoi) Cheesecake with a Pineapple Custard Filling and Coconut Shortbread crust. I still have not recovered from this combo of tart and tangy goodness. This time I made cheesecake bars instead of a pie. This recipe filled a "brownie pan" that measured 10 1/2" x 15 1/2" x 1" perfectly. But it can be made in any baking dish, cake or pie pan.

Topped with passion fruit/pineapple sauce and lemongrass garnish.

Here is the recipe I used, which was adapted from the one I made a few weeks back with Lime.
I did make a few changes in the prep as well. I felt that the custard needed to set up a bit before pouring the cheese mixture on top.

Pineapple custard
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons fresh pineapple juice/pulp

Crust
1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut (i used unsweetened that you can find in the bulk section at health food stores)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons fresh passion fruit juice
(you can find passion fruit at most health food stores when in season... look for ones that are all wrinkled and not so pretty. That is when they are at their best)


For pineapple custard:
Whisk all ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat until custard thickens and just starts to boil. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally ... mixture will thicken.

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all crust ingredients to blend in medium bowl. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of a pie pan or baking dish. Pierce dough with a fork to allow air to escape. Bake until just set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

Pour custard mixture into crust & smooth top. Let set about 10 minutes until firm.


For filling:
Place cream cheese in a bowl and cream before adding other ingredients. Then add 3/4 cup sugar, eggs & passion fruit juice in bowl and mix well until creamy. Make sure your cream cheese is completely softened so that you will not end up with chunks in your mixture.

Carefully pour cheese filling over the custard. Place foil on rack under cheesecake to catch any overflow as the cake dies rise a bit. Bake until set and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean when pierced.


Cool then place in fridge. Serve chilled and garnish with passion fruit pulp and pineapple topping. The passion fruit seeds add a nice crunch and a bit of contrast in color.