Trade Winds Cheesecake

Yield: about 12 servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed crisp coconut macaroon cookies
• 1/4 cup (1/3 pound) melted butter

Filling

• 16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup light or regular sour cream
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) or 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound (about 1 large) firm-ripe mango
• Fresh mint (optional)

Orange Sauce

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice

Instructions

Crust

1. Mix 1macaroon cookies with melted butter. Press mixture over bottom and about 1 inch up side of a 9 inch cheesecake pan with removable rim.
2. Bake in a 325 degrees F oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cheese and sugar until creamy.
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add sour cream, liqueur and vanilla extract; beat until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Bake at 325 degrees F until center of cake jiggles only slightly when gently shaken, 45 to 50 minutes.
5. Cool completely on a rack. (If made ahead, cover and chill up until the next day.)
6. Spoon about 1/3 of the lukewarm Orange Sauce over cheesecake, to within 1 inch of sides.
7. Peel mango. Cut fleshy cheeks off each side of pit, then cut off remaining fruit. Cut mango into thin slices 4 to 5 inches long. Arrange over cheesecake, overlapping slightly.
8. Spoon remaining sauce over fruit and cake to within about 1/4 inch of side. Cover; chill until sauce is set, about 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
9. Run a knife around inside edges of pan. Remove pan rim. Garnish with mint. With a sharp knife, cut cake into wedges.

Orange Sauce

1. In a 2 to 3 quart pan, mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 4 teaspoons cornstarch.
2. Stir in 2/3 cup orange juice and 3 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (or orange juice). Stir over high heat until boiling.
3. Cool to lukewarm.

Attribution

Sunset magazine, May 1991