Piña Colada Cheesecake Truffles

As I mentioned in my LOST party post, I am in love with these truffles. Anything with cheesecake as the base pretty much gets an immediate vote (and possibly some salivating) from me. I made these the day before the party, but saved rolling them in the toasted coconut until the morning of to ensure the outside would not get soggy. Unless you definitely want a crispy exterior, you can make these days in advance. We had leftovers for a week, and they still tasted great (albeit soft coconut on the outside). If you are a cheesecake lover, you will definitely want to try eight one of these!

Piña Colada Cheesecake Truffles

For the cheesecake (you can also use a store-bought cheesecake)
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice

To assemble the truffles:
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups toasted coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in small bowl, and press firmly into bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and lemon juice, and mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake cheesecake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 1 hour and then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To assemble the truffles, place the chilled cheesecake, crushed pineapple and cream of coconut in a large bowl and mash up until fully combined. Add 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs to the bowl and stir until you have a consistency of a loose cookie dough that will hold it's shape when rolled into a ball. (You may need to add more crumbs, so go by feel.) Cover with plastic wrap and chill mixture for at least 2 hours to set and allow flavors to meld.

Using a small scoop, scoop mixture from the bowl and roll into a small ball with your hands. Roll each truffle in the toasted coconut flakes to coat. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Source: adapted from What's Cooking Chicago?