Description
Try this lightly sweet Polish Pineapple Cheesecake, with a pastry crust it is a delicious treat topped with meringue and coconut crumble.
Ingredients
Scale
for the crust:
- 3 1/2 cups flour (450 g)
- 1/3 cup sugar (75 g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup butter (225 g), cold
- 4 egg yolks (save whites for the meringue)
- 1 1/2 cups (100 g) shredded coconut (added to the top crust (crumb layer)
for the filling:
- 7/8 cup butter (200 g), at room temp
- 2 pounds farmer’s cheese (1 kg), at room temp
- 1 small box, 3.4 ounces, vanilla instant pudding (96 g)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut (100 g)
- 1 1/2 cups finely diced, drained fresh pineapple (300 g)
for the meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 g)
for finishing:
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1 cup cold butter to a food processor with a steel knife. Process until the mixture is uniform and made up of fine crumbs. Add 4 egg yolks and process until well combined. Shape the dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- In the food processor, whip 7/8 cup softened butter. Add the farmer’s cheese in 4 batches, processing until smooth after each addition. Scraping the work bowl as necessary. Add the instant vanilla pudding, 2 eggs, and 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut. Process until well blended. The coconut will add a bit of texture. It will not be perfectly smooth.
- Remove the large ball of crust from the refrigerator. Slice into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Place the slices in a parchment-lined 9 x 13-inch pan (20 x 30 cm). Add any crust crumbs to the pan. Using your fingers, press the crust slices and crumbs together, so they cover the bottom of the pan.
- Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the pineapple over the cheese mixture.
- With a mixer or whisk, beat 4 egg whites until soft peaks, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and continue to beat until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Spread over the pineapple covered cake.
- Add the smaller ball of crust to the food processer with 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut. Process until you have a crumbly texture. Sprinkle over the meringue and bake for 40 minutes, loosely tent the pab with foil after 30 minutes. It keeps the topping from getting too brown.
- Cool and chill before serving. Your cheesecake is delicious as is, but you may want to top it with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or whipped cream.
Notes
Presentation – I have drizzled the plate with a bit of caramel sauce.
Keywords: Polish Pineapple Cheesecake