Piña Colada Cheesecake =]

I grew up in Florida. Piña Colada is not just a fruity drink, its the smell and taste of 'home'. You know when people tell you to go to your 'happy place' or when they say to imagine yourself in a perfect place, mine is filled with salty air, palm trees, crashing waves, bare feet on sandy ground and most importantly sunshine. The smell of sun tan lotion will force my eyes closed and my brain goes 'home' theres just something about the pineapple and coconut thats just comforting. A few days ago I stumbled upon a recipe for a piña colada cheesecake, I didn't save it, I don't know why but I just didn't and that decision has been haunting me since. Today I turned to google in search of that lost recipe and found MANY different listings, none of which were the one I had originally found. I was disappointed, but not to worry I wrote down a couple that sounded similar to the one I had lost and decided that I didn't need an exact recipe, I know how to make cheesecake, now all I have to do is make it taste like the epitome of 'home' not hard right? Since I came up with my own rendition I didn't feel the need to post a source link, you can google it for yourself if you want to see the selection I picked from but I did get a little link happy with other stuff and for that I apologize. 

Here is how they came out:

Here is everything I pulled out thinking I would use (don't mind the milk- I was eating a bowl of captain crunch when I was getting all this together)

Start out by softening the cream cheese, I threw 3 blocks in the microwave for 30sec then tossed them into the mixer until they got creamy.

Then I added 1/2 C sugar and continued to mix

After that I started on my theme flavor by adding in some crushed pineapple (drained)

Put it in the mixer and mix it real good

Then I added the eggs (beat them before adding)

Of course mix that real good too

Then I added sour cream

I then returned to my flavor crusade 

Mix that up really good and the cheesecake part is done, though in the future I would up the pineapple and coconut and even the rum flavors to maybe double what is mentioned though it did end up being a big recipe so maybe instead of doubling flavor elements cutting the other stuff in half would be a better idea. 

Make the crust, you can use graham crackers (like I did) or nilla wafers or I think they actually sell already crunched up graham crackers.. if you have a food processor that would work well but I don't so i crushed up 1 3/4 C graham crackers by hand, put half a stick of butter in with them and they went into the microwave until the butter was completely melted (40sec) then got mixed up. Press this mixture into the bottom of your pan or cupcake tin or whatever you're using, I used a variety.

Pour or spoon in the cheesecake mix

Here they are done

Bake at 340F (cupcakes- 45min)

I also made mini cupcakes

They're a little over done I would suggest 35min, I kind of forgot about them..

I also made one in a pie stone, this is at 70min

They're very good though as I said could definitely use more flavor elements

Here it is cut in half, I know its not very attractive but look at the pineapple chunk stuck to the knife =]

Here are the cupcakes and minis all together on a plate ready to go into the fridge, they should be refrigerated 8hrs before eating (supposedly) I'm not very good at following rules about when to/not to eat things so rule of thumb- leave them overnight, I stuck one in the freezer for 10mins then ate it, do as I say not as I do =] 

One more time heres the recipe for you, with my recommended alterations:

1 1/2 pkg Cream Cheese

1/2 C Sugar

1/2 C Crushed Pineapple

2 Eggs

1/4 C sour cream

2 t Coconut extract

1 t Rum extract

Bake @ 340F 

(see above for instructions/bake times)

Happy Baking!

Enjoy! =]