• I take the can of crushed pineapple and add it to a strainer. I press the pineapple against the mesh, moving it around and pressing it several times to get as much juice as possible out. If there is too much juice, it will cause cracks in the cheesecake filling.

CRUST

• In a food processor, turn the button on and add the macadamia nuts. You want them to be in very small pieces. So, you may need to pulse the machine a few times. While it is still running, add the graham crackers. Then you turn it off and pulse until there are no more chunks of the graham crackers left. Add the mixture to a medium-size bowl and run your fingers through to ensure no chunks. Add the sugar plus the melted butter and stir with a fork until all the crackers are moist. Line a 9X9 pan with one sheet of tin foil. Make sure it is long and hangs over two opposite sides. You will use these as handles to pull the whole cheesecake out of the pan.
• Take the graham cracker mix, dump it into the tin foil-lined pan, and press it out so it covers the whole bottom. Pack it down; it will be stiff because of the denseness of the honey graham crackers. So, when you cut the cheesecake, you can pick up a square piece and walk around with it just like a cookie.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

• Add the cream cheese and sugar in a stand or hand-held mixer and mix until the sugar is incorporated. I add an egg to a small bowl (to ensure there are no eggshell pieces) before adding it to the mixer. Blend through before adding the 2nd egg. Add the vanilla extract, sour cream, and strained pineapple to the batter. I stop the mixer, scrape the sides and across the bottom, then mix for another minute to ensure all the cream cheese is blended.
• Pour the pineapple cheesecake filling over the packed graham cracker crust and smooth it out. I gently drop the pan to get any air bubbles out. Preheat oven to 325°F(165°C or 170°C) and bake for 40 - 42 minutes. When you pull it out of the oven, give it a gentle jiggle in the dish; it should only move slightly. Cool for at least 1 hour, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Taking the pan out of the refrigerator, you want to grab the tinfoil by the long ends and pull the whole thing out of the pan. The tinfoil comes off easily from the bottom crust. Using a sharp knife, I cut down about 4 or 5 columns, depending on how big you want your pieces. Then, cut across the columns to the size squares you would like. Arrange on a plate and add the Cool Whip and some strained pineapple. This is such a fun and refreshing cheesecake. Keep refrigerated any leftover cheesecake.