I've had quite the sweet tooth lately and just happened to stumble across this recipe for low-fat cheesecake. I love cheesecake, but I'm not a fan of all the calories that come along with it. When I came across this recipe I knew I had to save, share and try. This recipe is courtesy of the Foodnetwork.com
Source: Foodnetwork.com
Ingredients
9 whole low-fat cinnamon graham crackers, broken in half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cooking spray
2 8-ounce packages Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
2 8-ounce packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 large eggs plus 3 egg whites
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Assorted toppings
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Crumble the graham crackers in a food processor. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and the butter; pulse until moistened. Use a 9 inch springform pan and wrap with foil to prevent leaks. Coat the inside of the pan with cooking spray and press crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 8 minutes or until browned. Let cook, for about 10 minutes.
While you are waiting for your base to bake beat both cream cheeses and the sugar with a mixer on medium high speed until smooth, for about 5 minutes, then beat in the sour cream on low speed. Next, whisk the 3 egg whites in a bowl, then add them to the cheese mixture along with the 2 whole eggs, flour, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Pour mixture over the crust.
Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan and add enough warm water to come one-quarter of the way up the sides of the springform. Bake until the cake is set, but the center should still jiggle, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake inside for about 20 minutes.
Remove the cake from the water and transfer to a rack. Run a knife around the edge, then cool. Chill until firm, around 8 hours. Top as desired.
This isn't something you can whip up the day of. So be sure to plan! Be inspired and create!