Coconut Fudge Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup canned cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 large eggs

Topping
5 tablespoons whipping cream
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cups)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap foil around outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Blend all ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground and crumbs stick together. Press crust mixture over bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and extract in large bowl to blend. Beat in cream of coconut, shredded coconut and flour. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until just combined. Pour filling into crust. Bake until top is brown and center is almost set, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. Cover and chill overnight.

For topping:

Bring cream and syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips; whisk until smooth. Cool to just lukewarm. Pour topping over cake. Sprinkle edge with almonds and coconut. Chill until topping is set, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Coconut Brigadeiros

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 tsp. light corn syrup
1 cup finely shredded, unsweetened coconut (toasted, if desired)

Put the condensed milk, coconut milk, butter, corn syrup, and ½ cup of the coconut in a 3-quart heavy-duty saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to medium low and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls together into a dense batter, about 8 minutes. When the mixture is ready, the whisk will leave trails in the batter, allowing you to briefly see the pan bottom, and when you tilt the pan, the mixture should slide to the side in a blob, leaving a thick residue on the bottom of the pan. (It’s OK if the residue is slightly brown.)

Slide the mixture into a bowl. (Don’t scrape the pan—you don’t want to use any of the batter stuck to the bottom.) Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until very firm, 3 to 4 hours.

Put the remaining ½ cup coconut in a bowl. Using a teaspoon or a melon baller, scoop the mixture by the teaspoonful, and with your hands, roll each into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Drop each ball into the coconut as you finish rolling it. When you have 4 to 6 brigadeiros, roll them in the coconut and lift them out with your fingers semi-open, carefully shaking off the excess.