TASTE
Lighter cheesecake quite satisfying
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By Jim Romanoff
Associated Press
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Cheesecake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. But it's hard to be pleased with the amount of fat in many classic versions — usually more than 30 grams per serving. But happily, a delicious lighter cheesecake is possible.
Typical cheesecakes contain as much as three-quarters of a pound of fat, most of it from the cream cheese and heavy cream or sour cream in the filling. In addition, a traditional graham cracker crust can add an entire stick of butter.
Making a healthier — yet still satisfying — cheesecake is just a matter of choosing the right ingredients.
Nutritionist Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network show "Healthy Appetite," recommends reduced-fat rather than nonfat ingredients because they significantly cut fat, saturated fat and calories without sacrificing taste and texture.
In most cheesecake recipes you can, at the very least, replace regular cream cheese with Neufchatel (reduced-fat cream cheese) which has fewer calories and about a third of the fat.
Additionally, you can replace about half the cream cheese with a smooth puree of reduced-fat cottage cheese, which will cut fat and calories even more.
If you're adapting a recipe that calls for a graham cracker crust, you can cut fat and calories quite a bit by using a small amount of canola oil rather than a lot of butter to bind the crumbs together.
In her recipe for ricotta cheesecake with fresh raspberries, Krieger uses a blend of Neufchatel and pureed part-skim ricotta cheese. The resulting cake is creamy and has all the delicious cheese flavor you would expect.
This recipe further reduces calories and fat by eliminating the crust. A bit of flour added to the batter forms a golden-brown "crust" on the sides and bottom as the cheesecake bakes.
The serving size of Krieger's cheesecake is a nice big wedge, heaped with fresh raspberries. "We eat with our eyes," she says. "If the slice looks small you'll be dissatisfied before you even take a bite."
RICOTTA CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH RASPBERRIES
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-inch, leakproof springform pan with cooking spray.
In a food processor, puree the ricotta until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, Neufchatel, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, orange zest and salt and process until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the center is just set, 50 to 55 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before removing it from the pan. The cheesecake will be about 2 inches high.
In a small saucepan, bring the jam and liqueur to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Brush the top of the cheesecake with the jam mixture, then top with raspberries, flat side down. The cake should be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep for 2 to 3 days.
Makes 8 servings.
(Recipe from Ellie Krieger's "The Food You Crave," Taunton Press, 2008)
