Pina Colada Cheesecake

April twentieth is the anniversary of Shanice and CJ's engagement—or approximately, I am not sure of the exact date but I know it was late April—and Shanice called me this week to tell me that she had been admitted to a master's in education program at Alabama A&M. She called me specifically, before she told CJ, because she wanted to tell me first. I received this as the compliment it is. A woman who calls her future mother-in-law with her good news before she tells her fiancé has already made her place in this family. Shanice, you are already in. You have been in since the peach cobbler.

I told her: "Baby, you are going to be the smartest woman in every room you walk into. That includes this kitchen." She laughed and said, "Mother Simms, you are the smartest woman in this kitchen." I said, "I know. I am teaching you to be the second-smartest." She laughed again. This is our language, Shanice and I—we speak in the kitchen, in the food, in the shorthand of women who have agreed to love each other through cooking. She comes to the Saturday class. She calls me with questions. She is building her knowledge the way the right kind of student builds knowledge: not because someone told her she had to, but because she wants it, because the wanting came from inside, because the kitchen called her the same way it called me, the way it called Bernice, the way it calls everyone it means to keep.

I made a lemon icebox pie this week. It is officially spring now, the serious spring, and spring in Alabama requires a cold, citrus dessert that says summer is coming and you are ready, and the lemon icebox pie says this with the efficiency and elegance of a dessert that has been saying it since before I was born. Three ingredients, essentially: sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks, poured into a graham cracker crust and baked briefly and then chilled. The result is more than the sum of its parts. The result is always more than the sum of its parts, if the parts are chosen well and put together with care. That is the rule of cooking. That is also most of the rules of everything else.

I made the lemon icebox pie for myself, and for the season, and for Shanice’s news, which deserved a dessert as bright and uncomplicated as she is. But when I make it for company — when I want that same cold, creamy elegance dressed up just a little more, made to feel like a celebration — this Pina Colada Cheesecake is what I reach for. It is the same principle as the icebox pie: a few simple things chosen well, put together with care, chilled until they become something greater than what you started with. Spring calls for cold desserts that taste like a promise, and this one keeps it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
8 oz whipped topping, thawed (or 2 cups freshly whipped cream)
1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes, for garnish
Maraschino cherries and pineapple slices, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make the crust. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, toasted shredded coconut, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Beat the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add sweetness and flavor. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
Fold in coconut cream. Open the chilled can of coconut milk without shaking it. Scoop out the solidified coconut cream from the top (reserve the liquid for another use). Gently fold the coconut cream into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
Add pineapple. Press the drained crushed pineapple between paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Fold the pineapple into the filling — this keeps the cheesecake from becoming watery.
Fold in whipped topping. Add the whipped topping in two additions, folding gently each time to keep the filling light and airy.
Fill and chill. Pour the filling into the chilled crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
Garnish and serve. Before serving, top with toasted coconut flakes. Arrange maraschino cherries and pineapple slices around the edge if desired. Release the springform ring, slice with a clean knife, and serve cold.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pina Colada Cheesecake — The Coldest, Creamiest Way to Say Summer Is Coming