Magic Cheesecake

We last left with this...

"To come...did you really think I would let our anniversary go without baking? Actually, yes, technically I did..."

Oooh, she's being mysterious. 

Did anyone guess what was to come? 

Was the change in my header a total giveaway? 

Cheesecake.

Except...

It was a no-bake cheesecake.

And...

I made it totally no-dairy. 

No bake? No dairy? Is it still a cheesecake?

Cheesecake enthusiasts and purists would probably argue that, no, what I made was more along the lines of a frozen pie. 

I say that Adam and I went out for cheesecake on our first date, and I was trying to be cute. So it's cheesecake. Anyone who says different can come talk to me and my springform pan. 

Also, Adam has said that his favorite thing I make are the magic cookie bars, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate parts of those into the cheesecake. 

Again, just for good measure, I bring you...MAGIC CHEESECAKE (kinda).

Crust, coming together...

Scraping down the bowl

Yes, I totally practiced opening a springform pan before ingredients were added. A good idea, if you haven't done it before. Or maybe just for me. 

Not sure why the filling looks beige here. 

Coconut, ready for the oven.

Getting there...

Me: Think I should put the coconut back in for more toasting?

Mom: I think you should stop right now while the smoke alarm hasn't gone off. 

Closeup of the top of the cheesecake, after it was frozen for a day.

And with coconut added.

I was incredibly pleased with myself at this point that my idea worked. 

Let's eat!

Mmmm...

So what have we got going on here? 

Crust:

1 cup of Pecan Sandies cookies (I'd say about 8 of them would be good - I ground up 10 and it was too many)

1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of sugar

Filling:

8 ounces of non-dairy cream cheese (I used Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese - in my opinion, it has a great texture and taste) 

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 cup of Cool Whip (thawed)

Topping:

Semisweet chocolate chips

Butterscotch chips

Toasted coconut (put as much shredded coconut as you'd like on a baking sheet, turn the oven to 350, and take it out every 2 minutes or so, tossing the coconut around, until it is dried and lovely golden hue)

To make:

*Crush the cookies, and mix together with the rest of the ingredients for the crust in a bowl until everything is lightly moistened and looks like it will hold up to be a mighty fine crust. Press the mixture into your springform pan, and refrigerate until you're ready to add the filling.

*Beat together the non-dairy cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until it is smooth. Incorporate the Cool Whip. Spread the filling on top of your crust.

*Sprinkle the toppings on top of the filling (I added the toasted coconut after it had been frozen for awhile, but either way is ok)

*Freeze for at least two hours (I froze it for a day).

*Place in the refrigerator an hour before serving.

As I said earlier, no, this is not technically a traditional cheesecake. However, it is mighty tasty, and it does kind of look like cheesecake, if you're really looking to call it so. I had been plotting out this idea for awhile (yes, I had even made a little cross-section diagram at one point, seeing how to incorporate as much magic cookie bar as possible), and was absolutely thrilled it worked out as well as it did (it's the little things sometimes), not only that I had accomplished my goal, but had also created a dense and creamy lactose-intolerant friendly dessert. 

There's always a reason to celebrate.