Florida Dessert Recipe

(Photo below)

Dessert-8015

Crust
1 1/2 cups	crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup	sugar
4 tablespoons	butter

Filling
3 pounds	cream cheese, softened
3 cups	sugar
9	eggs
1 tablespoon	vanilla
1 cup	Key lime juice

Garnish
2 cups	toasted coconut

Preparation
Grease inside of a 10-inch springform pan. Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press mixture into bottom of pan, forming the crust. Place in a pre-heated 350- degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove and cool. Place cream cheese in a mixer bowl and using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time into the creamy mixture. When all the eggs have been incorporated, add the vanilla, continue mixing until smooth. Stir in the key lime juice. Pour mixture into the springform pan, leaving about an inch space from the top. Place the cake in a roasting pan and fill the pan with enough water so that it comes halfway up the side of the cake pan. Bake in a pre- heated 400-degree F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F and turn the roasting pan to ensure even cooking. Continue to bake for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature again to 325 degrees F and turn roasting pan. Bake an additional 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven and cool completely. Leave cake in springform pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Unmold the cake the next day, slice and garnish with toasted coconut.

Key Lime Cheesecake