Not Fattening Cheesecake

February 16, 2007

First, let me offer this disclaimer: If you like to eat, but want to lose weight, you gotta believe.

Me, I believe mostly in Atkins. That hasn't lost a lot of weight for me, but it helps me believe I'm dieting when I eat the foods I like. The trick is to stop before you want to. That's one I haven't mastered yet.

Here's a trick for a cheesecake that I won't promise will help you lose weight, but you'll hardly notice the artificial sweetener, and you can feel pretty good while you're eating it. In moderation, of course. I've served it at parties and nobody knows. (Or so they say.)

Make your crust using ground almonds instead of graham crackers.

The filling consists of:

3 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup Splenda
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
Grated lemon rind (optional)

Pre-heat your oven to 325°.

With an electric mixer, cream the cheese with sugar and Splenda. Add the egg yolks, extract and lemon juice.

Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks and gently fold them into the cream cheese mixture. Turn this batter into a baking pan prepared with the nut crust. If you're using a spring-form pan, wrap its bottom well in aluminum foil to prevent water leaking in. Put the baking pan into a larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water up to about an inch from the top of the smaller pan. Bake until the cake is lightly browned, about one hour.

Let cool completely. The water bath will prevent cracks from forming on the top of the cake. This can be eaten as is, or topped with sour cream slightly sweetened and with a bit of vanilla added, or with fresh fruit.