Mango Cheesecake

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 6  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 3  large ripe mangoes, cubed
• 3  (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4  cups  sugar
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 4  large eggs
• Garnishes: fresh mango slices, fresh berries, fresh mint

Preparation

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a bowl; press into bottom and 1-inch up sides of a buttered, 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325º for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.

Process mangoes in food processor until pureed. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, mixing just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in mango puree.

Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake at 325º for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 1 hour. Cover and chill 8 hours. Garnish, if desired.

Marithyme Treasures, Coastal Living, OCTOBER 2005