Pineapple and cream cheese go together. There is something about the smooth creamy cheese that accents the sweet-tart taste of fresh, ripe pineapple so well. We have found pineapple and cream cheese in many a church supper salad dish but, a regal pineapple cheesecake—that sounded terrific.

This is simply a very good cheesecake with a fresh pineapple topping. The topping can be made with canned pineapple.

Additional Recipes and References

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:

3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup whipping cream
For the pineapple topping:

About 2/3 of a large ripe pineapple
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Crush the graham crackers. Mix the crumbs with the cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter in a ten-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into a crust across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Put the crust in the refrigerator to set up while you prepare the filling and the topping.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the cream cheese with the paddle attachment of your stand-type mixer set at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about five minutes. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and cream, and blend together until smooth. Do not over beat. Too much air in the filling will cause the cake to sink and crack.
3. Pour the cream cheese filling into the crust. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top just starts to turn golden and the center of the cake is just barely jiggly.
4. While the cheesecake is baking, make the topping. Remove the flesh from the pineapple by slicing, peeling, and coring. Crush the pineapple a few chunks at a time in the blender by hitting the “pulse” button for just a moment until you have about 2 1/2 cups of pulp and juice—about 2/3’s of a large pineapple.
5. Mix the sugar with the cornstarch and then add the mixture to the pineapple. Stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened and bubbly. Set aside to cool.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove the ring and let the cheesecake cool completely. Spoon the pineapple topping over the cheesecake and refrigerate for several hours.


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