By Mid-June. Belated birthday dessert week. Brayden is one hundred and forty-two weeks old. The pregnancy is at forty-two weeks. The induction is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Mama had asked Saturday-of-my-birthday what cake I wanted and I had told her none on the day (third-trimester sweet-tooth-off). She had said tell-me-later. Sunday I texted now. She texted back fifteen minutes later: almond joy cheesecake from Carol’s 1989 card.
The Almond Joy cheesecake is a small no-bake cheesecake — a graham-cracker-and-coconut crust, a cream-cheese-and-coconut filling, a dark-chocolate-ganache top, finished with toasted almonds and a small drizzle of chocolate. The cheesecake architecture mimics the Almond Joy candy bar (coconut, chocolate, almond) as a Sunday-dinner-dessert.
Carol Bryant had sent me a small recipe card in 1989 (her handwriting, on a small four-by-six index card with the typewriter-print decorative-border) when she had been newly-married to Dustin’s dad. The card had been in my recipe-folder since November of 2020 when Carol had shared it with me during the post-courthouse-wedding small recipe-exchange. The card is one of the small heritage-recipes in the Bryant cookbook.
Saturday afternoon I made the cheesecake. Sunday at noon I served it. Mama, Dustin, Brayden, me. Dustin ate two slices. Mama had one. Brayden ate the ganache off the top of his and ignored the rest.
Almond Joy Cheesecake
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total Time: 5 hours (includes chilling) | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Cheesecake Filling:
- 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- Topping:
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Prep the pan. Preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lightly grease the inside of the pan.
- Make the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together chocolate graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- Beat the filling. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add eggs and base. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until incorporated. Mix in vanilla extract and sour cream until smooth.
- Fold in mix-ins. Gently fold in shredded coconut, melted chocolate, and toasted slivered almonds with a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake in a water bath. Pour filling over the cooled crust. Place the springform pan inside a larger roasting pan and add 1 inch of hot water to the outer pan. Bake at 325°F for 60–70 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle.
- Cool gradually. Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the water bath, run a thin knife around the edge, and let cool completely on a wire rack before refrigerating for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the ganache topping. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Spread evenly over the chilled cheesecake.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle toasted coconut and whole almonds over the ganache. Release the springform collar, slice, and serve chilled.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 36g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 290mg