Baked Cherry Cheesecake
If you are ever under pressure to watch those darn calories, which often means NO to the many sweet delights we all love such as desserts for example. Do not despair as today I share with you my yummy, low-fat cheesecake recipe, which at only 2080 kilojoules (495 calories) a slice is a winner (yep, let us not go into how many calories a piece of traditional cheesecake can whack you with as this may lessen your enjoyment the next time round!).
If I may add, I am a great believer in eating in moderation, making wise choices (i.e read the labels), and definitely when you can always choose quality over quantity PLUS exercise, sorry, but it is so important if you eat well, to be as active as you can.
OK lecture over, enjoy the cheesecake!
Ingredients
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Biscuit Base
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200g low fat digestive biscuits- crumbed
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110g low fat margarine- or butter
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Filling
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6 eggs- separated
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1 lemon- rind only
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225g caster sugar- or the healthier coconut sugar
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600g low-fat soft cheese- softened
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1 x 250g tin pitted cherries- drained, keep syrup
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Cherry Syrup
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Cherry juice- from the tin
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2 tsp arrowroot
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Decoration
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Fresh cherries
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Plain low fat yoghurt
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Grated chocolate
Instructions
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Prepare the cheesecake tin:
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01 Line a 20cm loose-base cake tin lined with non stick baking paper - base and sides.
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Prepare biscuit base:
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02 Place biscuits into a food processor and crush to a fine crumb. Melt butter and mix with biscuits, and press crumb mixture into lined cake tin, using the back of a large metal spoon. Either leave as a flat base or build up the sides. Keep to one side.
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Prepare filling:
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03 Whisk egg yolks with the sugar until pale and yellow and creamy, then stir in the lemon zest and soft cheese.
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04 In a separate bowl whisk egg whites until stiff and fold into cheese mixture. Carefully fold in the cherries.
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05 Pour into the cake tin and bake for one and half hours or until filling has set. Leave in the tin to cool.
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Prepare cherry syrup:
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06 Heat syrup over a low heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the arrowroot and 2tbs of cold water. Pour into the warm cherry liquid and stir well to combine.
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To serve:
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07 remove cheesecake from tin and pour over cherry syrup. Slice and serve with fresh cherries, plain low fat yoghurt and a dusting of grated chocolate.
Notes
If unable to find pitted, tinned cherries use tinned pineapple.
