A Tropical Reminder

I finally got around to making one of the desserts that's in my Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008 book that my friend Shanna gave me. After looking through the book for about an hour last night trying to find the perfect recipe, I decided to make a dessert that will transport me back to the warm weather and beaches... Piña Colada Cheesecake Bars!

Another attraction to this recipe was that I could use it to participate in Joelen of Joelen's Culinary Adventures monthly event Tasty Tools. The kitchen tools this month were a grater and microplane. I have two microplanes and love using them! They make baking and cooking so much fun.

Piña Colada Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbs coconut flour or all-purpose flour
2 Tbs turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs water
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 cup 2% low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 Tbs grated lemon rind
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs pineapple juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Dash of salt
3/4 cup egg substitute

Remaining Ingredients:
1 cup chopped free pineapple
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. To prepare crust, combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Add butter, oil, and water; toss well. Press mixture onto the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan (I used a cake pan since that's all I had) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. To prepare filling, place cottage cheese and next 7 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add egg substitute, and process until blended. Spread cheese mixture over cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 33 minutes or until set. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Refrigerate 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. Top with pineapple and coconut.
4. Cut into 16 bars (or slices) and enjoy!

Make sure to enjoy the first bite. There are tons of flavors in this recipe. The crust leaves you with a hint of ginger and the filling has a subtle lemon flavor. The pineapple ties in all the flavors and is a good balance to the lemon filling.

A Picture of the dessert and the microplane :)