TOASTED SHREDDED COCONUT RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place shredded or flaked coconut evenly on a large baking sheet that has been lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Put the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, open the oven and gently stir the coconut with a spatula. Bake until the coconut is golden brown, about 3–4 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Note: Make sure you keep an eye on the toasted coconut. Once it starts to toast, it toasts quickly!

Steps:

• Make the crust: Butter a 9" springform pan. Wrap bottom and sides of pan in a double layer of aluminum foil, then set a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. In a food processor or blender, grind graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add salt and sugar and pulse to combine. Transfer to medium bowl, add butter, and use fork or fingers to blend mixture until crumbs are evenly moist. Press into bottom and about a third of the way up sides of springform pan, then freeze for 10 minutes. Place pan on baking sheet and bake crust for 10 minutes. Set on a rack to cool, and reduce oven temperature to 325°. Make the cheesecake: Bring a medium saucepan or teakettle full of water to a boil. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese on medium, scraping down bowl as necessary, until completely smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat 30 seconds, then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down bowl as necessary. Add coconut milk and sour cream and beat on low until fully incorporated and completely smooth, 1 minute. Pour cheesecake batter into cooled crust and smooth top, then place cheesecake in deep roasting pan and set on middle rack of oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until top is just starting to brown and crack, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn off oven, prop door open with wooden spoon and let cheesecake slowly cool in water bath for 1 hour. Remove roasting pan from oven, then carefully lift springform pan out of water and remove foil. Set cheesecake on rack and let come to room temperature. Once completely cool, loosely cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 4 hours, or up to overnight. When ready to serve, make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and coconut milk until combined. Slowly add powdered sugar and toasted coconut until creamy. Frost cheesecake and top all over with toasted coconut.