Ambrosia Cheesecake

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  almond shortbread cookie crumbs (about 12 cookies)
• 3  tablespoons  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  butter or margarine, melted
• 4  (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3  large eggs
• 1  cup  sugar
• 1  (14-ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  Fresh Orange Curd
• 1  cup  sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (optional)
• Decorated Pastry Strips (optional)
• Garnish: Boxwood Garland

Preparation

Stir together first 3 ingredients; press mixture into bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.

Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese, eggs, and 1 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in 14-ounce package coconut and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Cover and chill 8 hours. Release sides of springform pan, and place cheesecake on serving platter or cake stand. Spread Fresh Orange Curd evenly over top of cheesecake. Sprinkle 1 cup toasted coconut around outer edge of top, if desired. Arrange Decorated Pastry Strips on sides of cheesecake, if desired. Garnish top of cake, if desired.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Keebler Sandies Almond Shortbread.