Pina Colada Cheesecake

Photo: flickr user cherrylet

Ingredients

2 env unflavoured gelatin

3/4 cup sugar

1 can pineapple juice (6 oz)

3 eggs, separated

3 packages lrg (8 oz) cream cheese

1/4 cup dark Jamaican rum

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

2 inches can (8 oz) crushed pinapple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut

cup butter, melted

Preparation

Crust: combine indredients. 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 remining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon 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.