Delicious, Mostly FAT-FREE Cheesecake!

I am a cheesecake lover from way back!  I have a huge selection of cheesecake recipes and if I knew I was dying tomorrow, I'd whip up a cappuccino cheesecake, decorated with espresso cream and chocolate covered coffee beans in a heartbeat.

However, as far as I know...I have a while yet to live.  I've been dutifully using my eliptical trainer, and cutting back calories as much as I can stand.  My husband, though, keeps dropping hints about huckleberry cheesecake.  I've been trying to reconcile my New Year's Resolution with my New Christmas Kitchenaid Mixer.  It hardly seems fair.

I'm generally not a fan of 'lightened' recipes.  They tend to leave me wishing for ONE really good piece of the real thing.  I went to the internet for some inspiration and looked at several cheesecake recipes where calories had been trimmed.  Many involved non-fat ricotta cheese, and I could just feel the graininess against my tongue.  I like smooth, creamy cheesecake!

Sort of looks like a deflated meringue!

I settled on a recipe from CDKitchen (cdkitchen.com).  I ruined the first attempt by trying to hurry the process using my 'speed bake' convection setting.  It rose to the heights of an angelfood cake, then plummeted to a pancake.  It tasted good, so I tried again!  Neither of them came out too pretty.  That's where fruit comes in handy!







Almost Fat-Free Cheesecake 
Preheat oven to 350º

Spray a 9" spring form pan (generously) with cooking spray.
Crust: Sprinkle 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the pan.

Filling:
• 3 - 8oz packages fat free cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 egg whites

Combine sugar and cream cheese, and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Add egg whites one at a time until incorporated.  Pour mixture over graham cracker crumbs and bake at 350º for 45 minutes.
(Don't use 'speed bake'!)  :-)

Topping:
• 8 oz. fat free sour cream
• 3 TB sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

When the filling has baked for 45 minutes, spoon the sour cream topping over the cheesecake and bake for another 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Now - when I made this...
I couldn't find fat free sour cream, so I used low fat.  In my first (failed) attempt, I put on the topping as directed.  In my second attempt, I left it off.  I figured I didn't need the extra calories from it, and I didn't think it added too much to the recipe.  I also knew I was going to be topping the cheesecake with fruit, which would overpower the sour cream anyway.

This actually tastes very good, is nice and creamy, and is a truly decent substitute for cheesecake.  The texture isn't quite the same.  You need full fat and cream for that velvety smooth feeling.  Still, it's a super-easy recipe, and it hits the cheesecake spot.  Even my husband thought so!