Toasted Coconut-Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe

1 ¼ cups sweetened flaked coconut
12 vanilla cream sandwich cookies; broken into pieces ( Vienna Fingers)
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
¼ cup butter, melted
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup refrigerated eggnog
1 tbl. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tbl. dark rum
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, ground cinnamon

1. Bake 1 ¼ cups coconut in a shallow pan at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, 8 to 9 minutes or until toasted. Reserve ¼ cup for garnish.
2. Process cookies and pecans in a food processor until cookies are finely crushed. Add butter; pulse until crumbs are moistened. Add 1 cup toasted coconut; pulse just until combined. Press crumb mixture into bottom and 1: up sides of a 9” springform pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
4. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggnog and next 4 ingredients, beating just until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Stir in vanilla. Do not overbeat. Pour batter into baked crust.
5. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, and immediately run a knife around edge of pan, releasing sides.
6. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours. Garnish, if desired. Pipe the edge with whipped whipping cream and then sprinkle with reserved ¼ cup toasted coconut.