Smoked Coconut Cheesecake

I saw this recipe in Saveur several weeks ago and I've been anxiously gathering the ingredients to make it.  I had no idea what to expect as a result of smoking the cream cheese with the Thai Incense candle.  It is indescribably delicious. You have the familiar chocolate wafer crust ,then your taste buds find something smokey,salty,tart,sweet-they are falling into that tasting frenzy-what is this ? How can this be in one bite? And then just when you thought it couldn't get any better you experience the whipped cream topping with the taste of coconut and cream and white chocolate. And the taste that is left in your mouth is , wel it's  sexy,smokey,exotic.  Unbelievable-really, incredibly surprising.  Someone please buy me a plane ticket to New York so I can head straight to Spot Dessert Bar and try all of the Chef's incredible creations. Just look at this list:

Thai Tea Creme Brulee -flour less jasmine rice wafer, hot Thai tea

Smoked Coconut Cheesecake-young coconut flesh,Oreo crumbs, white chocolate shaving Chocolate Green Tea Lava-green tea-white chocolate ganache, green tea ice cream

Green Tearamisu-matcha green tea essence, green tea madeleine sponge, shaved white chocolate-green tea

Yuzu Eskimo-blackberries, raspberry foam, chocolate pearls,Oreo soil, chocolate ganache

White Miso Semifreddo-raspberries, EVOO, almond tuile, raspberry sorbet

 Kabocha Brulee Cake-oranges, condensed milk ice cream, walnut soil, jasmine flower wafers

 Soft Cheesecake-passion foam, blueberry compote, seasonal citrus, walnut soil

I would love to find the recipe for the Kabocha Brulee Cake, there are some on line but not his. Chef Chalermkittichai's  looks almost like a Chinese Tea Egg design on the cake and has several layers of kabocha lined with who knows what. Stop by the website to just drool over the pictures and then get in line behind me for his soon to be published cookbook.  I am amazed by the creativity of Chef Ian Chalermkittichai . Seriously,try the recipe-the Thai Incense candles are inexpensive and don't take long to arrive-after you have those ,it's a pretty straightforward cheesecake recipe. But trust me,your guests will be talking about it for a long,long time. Bon Appetit !

Smoked Coconut Cheesecake
Saveur Magazine Issue #147
Recipe courtesy of Chef Ian Chalermkittichai , Spot Dessert Bar ,Manhattan
Serves 8–10

Ingredients:

3 8oz. packages cream cheese

1 cup ground chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream, chilled

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup confectioners' sugar

2 oz. white chocolate, shaved

Instructions:

1. Place a Thai incense candle in a 3″–wide bowl; place within a larger bowl containing cheese. Light candle; cover bowl with foil. Smoke for 30 minutes. Uncover bowl; set aside.

2. Heat oven to 300°. Mix crumbs and butter in a bowl; press into bottom of a 9″ springform pan wrapped in foil. Bake until set, about 15 minutes; cool. Process cheese and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 cup cream, salt, vanilla, eggs, and yolk; process until smooth. Pour cream cheese custard over cooled crust; bake until cheesecake jiggles slightly in center, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Cool, and chill for 4 hours.

3. Whisk remaining cream, coconut milk, and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form; spread over cake. Sprinkle with chocolate to garnish.

*You can order the Thai incense candle needed for this from Temple of Thai