Ingredients:
- 250 g (9 oz) Digestive Biscuits, Vanilla Wafers, or Graham Crackers
- 115 g (1 stick / ½ cup) Unsalted Butter, melted
- 225 g (8 oz) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
- 120 g (1 cup) Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar), sifted
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 450 g (16 oz total) Stabilised Whipped Topping (e.g., Cool Whip)
- 600 g (20 oz / two standard tins) Tinned Crushed Pineapple, drained exceptionally well
- 15 ml (1 Tbsp) Cornstarch or 5 g (1 tsp) Lemon Zest (Optional)
- 50 g (½ cup) Toasted Coconut Flakes or Maraschino Cherries (Optional Garnish)
Instructions:
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor or a sturdy bag until fine crumbs form.
- Pour the melted butter over the biscuit crumbs and stir thoroughly until every crumb is coated, resembling wet sand.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch dish and press the crust mixture firmly and evenly across the bottom. Place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract until completely smooth and lump-free (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar until fully incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Gently fold in half (225g) of the stabilised whipped topping using a rubber spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Evenly spread the entire cream cheese mixture over the chilled biscuit crust.
- Scatter the exceptionally well-drained crushed pineapple over the cream cheese layer. Gently pat it down without pressing too hard.
- Spread the remaining stabilised whipped topping (225g) evenly over the pineapple layer.
- Cover the dish tightly with cling film (plastic wrap) and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally, overnight. Garnish with toasted coconut or cherries before cutting into 12 squares and serving cold.