Ingredients
- for the crust:
- ¾ cup sweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 cup plain graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cracker sheets)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- for the filling:
- 1 small kabocha squash
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon brandy
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Squash:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Cut the kabocha squash into quarters and discard the seeds.
- Put a pat of butter in each of the hollows in the squash and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour until the squash shows no signs of resistance when you pierce it with a skewer or wooden toothpick.
- Remove from the oven and once it is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh with a large, metal spoon.
- Measure 2½ cups of flesh and save the rest for another use.
- Crust:
- Lower the oven temperature to 350F.
- Place the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven till golden brown. It’s perfect when the coconut has toasted to about the same color as the graham crackers. Cool the coconut and then crumble it gently with your hands.
- Place the cracker sheets in a food processor and blend till they are reduced to fine crumbs. Measure out 1 cup and transfer to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and ginger to the bowl of crumbs along with the coconut. Pour the butter over and mix well with a spatula till all of the crumbs are moistened.
- Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. Butter the paper as well. Turn the pan over and wrap around the base with aluminum foil to seal it completely.
- Tip the crust mixture into the pan and press in an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Make sure the crust goes on nice and level. Using the bottom of a metal measuring cup to tamp down the crumbs gives you a smooth crust devoid of any finger indentations.
- Bake the crust for 7 minutes in the oven till it turns a shade darker and appears drier. Cool at room temperature.
- Filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300F.
- Place the cream cheese, squash, sugar, salt, and spices in the food processor and blend till smooth.
- Add the eggs and brandy and blend just to combine.
- Turn the mixture out into a large bowl and stir it with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is well blended.
- Scrape the filling into the cooled crust and place the springform pan in another pan that is about an inch or two wider.
- Pour hot water into the outer pan to come about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake. The cheesecake is going to be baked in this water bath so it turns out extravagantly smooth.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for around 60-80 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still slightly jiggly when you nudge the pan. Top off the water so it’s never less than halfway up the sides at any point. Always use hot water or the temperature will drop too low and the cheesecake will take forever and a day to be done.
- When it is done, turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in the closed oven for an hour. This eases the transition from baking to cooling and prevents unsightly cracks on the cheesecake.
- Chill in the refrigerator till completely cold and remove the sides and bottom of the pan before serving.