For those who prefer their desserts not quite so sweet, this is your kind of cheesecake.  The raspberries and coconut boost the moderate amount of sugar in the recipe while the tanginess of the goat cheese brings into balance the overall sweetness of the cake.

Raspberry Coconut Goat Cheese Cheesecake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
7 1/2 ounces (212 grams) coconut cookies
Pinch of salt

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 pound goat cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
18 ounces fresh raspberries, divided
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup (2 ounces) toasted coconut chips
2 tablespoons raspberry or apricot jam

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Have ready a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.

Crust
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble and turn brown.  (Watch it carefully as butter can go from golden brown to burned very quickly.)  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a food processor, process the cookies until they are fine crumbs.  Alternately, place the cookies in a ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin or meat mallet.  In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and salt.  Carefully drizzle in the melted butter, leaving behind any dark sediment that has settled at the bottom of the pan.  Using a fork, toss together the cookie crumbs and butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened with the butter.  Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the springform pan.  Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Bake the crust for 8 minutes, just until lightly golden brown in color.  Set crust aside to cool while preparing the cheesecake filling.

Filling
Combine the cream cheese and goat cheese in the bowl of stand mixer.  Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, approximately 3 minutes.  Add the sour cream and mix until combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the egg yolk, until each are thoroughly incorporated.  With the mixer running on low, slowly add the sugar.  Once all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer to medium and continue to mix for 1 minute more.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Pour two-thirds of the batter into the cooled crust.  Cover the batter with a layer of raspberries, spacing them closely together but not touching.  Sprinkle the sweetened coconut overtop the raspberries.  Carefully pour the remaining batter over the raspberries and coconut.  Using an off-set spatula, spread the batter evenly out to the edge of the pan.  Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to settle the batter in and around the raspberries.  Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake in a 350˚F oven for 1 1/2 hours.  (If the cake begins to brown too much, tent with a piece of aluminum foil.)  When the cake is finished baking, using the handle of a wooden spoon, prop the oven door open 3-4 inches and allow the cheesecake to cool completely while still in the oven.  Once cooled, refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight before serving.

Topping
Toss any remaining raspberries with the jam.  Pile them in the center of the cheesecake.  Sprinkle the toasted coconut chips around the raspberries and serve.

A few notes:  I tested this recipe using the Trader Joe’s Toasted Coconut Cookie Thins.  Any plain coconut cookie should yield the same result.  If coconut cookies aren’t available, vanilla wafers will make a fine substitute.  Make sure your cream cheese and goat cheese are all the way to room temperature before beginning the recipe.  Finally, I used already toasted coconut chips I found at Trader Joe’s and lightly toasted them further in a 350˚F oven for 3 minutes.  If coconut chips are not available, regular sweetened coconut can be used.  Toast it following the instructions from this post.

Yield:  12 to 16 servings