Easy New York Style Cheesecake

I've been hungry for cheesecake for awhile. Cherry cheesecake, to be specific. Problem is, the cheesecake at your typical restaurant is worth nearly two whole meals, carb-wise. (Swiss Chalet and Boston Pizza's  nutritional information indicates their cheesecakes have about 75 g of carbohydrates per serving) Also, no one makes Cherry Cheesecake anymore; not that I have anything against strawberry topping, but my favourite has always been cherry. Yes. Since the '80's. SO. Not wanting to fuss with my most excellent graham wafer crust, and finding a New York Cheesecake recipe in the new Splenda cookbook I have become possessed of, I put 2 & 2 together and came up with this quick, smaller, delicious cheesecake. I popped open a can of E.D. Smith Light Cherry Pie Filling, and even The Husband approved. 

1 pre-made graham wafer crust

500 g (2 x 250 g/8 oz packages) light cream cheese

1/2 cup Splenda granular

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/4 cup fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 325*F. 

Mix all remaining ingredients together, blending until smooth and creamy. Spread in graham wafer crust,  (for added stability, I set the pie crust tin on a cookie sheet) then bake for 30-45 minutes, until filling is firm to the touch and just lightly browned. 

Serve with fresh fruit or pie filling.

Per Serving: (1/8th before topping) *Check the nutrient guide on the pie filling. Serving size=about 1/3 cup; half of that gives you a good 2.5 Tablespoons topping. Add calories and carbs to your totals accordingly. The E.D. Smith Light Cherry Pie Filling I used adds 30 calories & 10 g carbs per serving. 1/4 cup of fresh, chopped strawberries adds about 12 g carbohydrates. Add 5 g of carbs for each teaspoon of sugar you mix with them.

Calories: 300

Fat: 22 g

   Saturated Fat: 11g

Cholesterol: 94 mg

Sodium: 92 mg

Carbohydrates: 19g

   Sugars: 8.5 g

   Protein: 9 g

 

"Diabetic" Cream Pie

This is a take on the "basic cream pie recipe" found in Better Homes & Gardens Pies and Cakes cookbook. It's a nice custard pudding which can be used to make a low fat cream pie or trifle.

3/4 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
1/3 cup corn starch
3 cups skim milk
3 egg yolks in a bowl, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In medium sized saucepan, combine Splenda and cornstarch. Gradually add milk, whisking to blend.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Whisk small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. (use a small measuring cup or a soup ladle to transfer the hot milk) Immediately pour heated egg yolks back into the pot with the hot milk mixture. Whisk egg yolks in, until well blended.

Return pot to heat, cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

For Coconut Cream Pie; add 1 cup of coconut to custard and fill cooked pie shell.
For Banana Cream Pie; spread custard into cooked pie shell lined with sliced bananas.

Serve with low fat whipped topping, or meringue made with Splenda and the whites of the eggs used in the custard.

Meringue

Having just written up the custard for cream pies... it seems right to give you a recipe for meringue as well. My Mom and I made some "diabetic" cream pies for my Dad's birthday dinner, and we tried a meringue topping using Splenda which seemed to work pretty well. I'll give you the basic meringue recipe, and you can replace the sugar with Splenda if you need to.

Basic Meringue: Smaller Meringue:
3 egg whites 2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar (or Splenda, artificial sweetener) 4 Tablespoons sugar

Beat egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar/Splenda, beating til stiff peaks form and all sugar is dissolved.

Spread atop pie, sticking meringue to edge of pastry.

Bake at 350*F for 10-15 minutes, or til meringue is golden.

Cool.

Two Egg Custard

This is a take on the 3 egg "basic cream pie recipe" found in Better Homes & Gardens Pies and Cakes cookbook. It's a nice custard pudding, that can be used to make a low fat cream pie or trifle. For a pie or trifle dessert, I've found that 1 1/2 or 2 times the amount of custard is needed.

1/2 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
3 Tablespoons corn starch
2 cups skim milk
2 egg yolks in a bowl, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium sized saucepan, combine Splenda and cornstarch. Gradually add milk, whisking to blend.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Whisk small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. (use a small measuring cup or a soup ladle to transfer the hot milk) Immediately pour heated egg yolks back into the pot with the hot milk mixture. Whisk egg yolks in, until well blended.

Return pot to heat, cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Stir occasionally while pudding cools to prevent skin from forming on top; or cover with plastic wrap. Serve warm or cool.

For cream pies:
-Coconut Cream Pie; add 1 cup of coconut to custard and fill cooked pie shell.
-Banana Cream Pie; spread custard into cooked pie shell lined with sliced bananas.

Serve with low fat whipped topping, or meringue made with Splenda and the whites of the eggs used in the custard.

Tarte aux Epinards, (or Spinach Quiche)

The Guest Chef for today is my daughter Johanna, who writes from Switzerland, "Ok, I have a recipe for you. It's the third or fourth time I've made it, and it's pretty darn good. Even the girls (the two girls she's an Au Pair for) will eat it, green though it is. This'll feed 5 or 6 easily. One time I forgot to buy a pie crust, so I just stuck it together in a pan and made it a gratin, and it was just as good. So yeah....a recipe for you from Switzerland, that I got from a friend who got it from a friend."


1 pie crust (I buy one that's uncooked and rolled up)
600g epinards (spinach*, better to buy it frozen with milk already in it. otherwise you have to add more milk)
200mL milk
2 eggs
50-200g cheese (my friend made it with only sprinkled on top, but I use about 100g...and I use gruyere)
1 onion
salt, pepper, nutmeg to flavour.

1. pie crust in the pan, we use a round flatter thing
2. mix up the spinach, milk and eggs. I use a whisk to make sure it's all even.
3. cut up the onion small and add that, then add the grated cheese
4. season
5. pour spinach filling into pie crust.
6. bake in the oven for about 40 minutes at 200'C

*you probably want frozen, chopped spinach, drained and patted dry. I've never heard of "spinach in milk", so you'll need to add extra. I'd start with 1/4 cup, making the milk 250 ml instead of 200.

New York-Style Cheesecake

Someone besides me thought it was good, so I'll give you the recipe! Based on the Kraft Food's "What's Cooking" recipe (Spring 2007 edition) I used my fiber added crust, and Graham Kerr's Yogurt Cheese to lower fat and carbohydrates. This has a smooth, creamy texture, and isn't too heavy. I served it once with a homemade blueberry sauce made with Splenda, and once with fresh strawberries and whipped topping. Beautiful.


1 cup (250 ml) low-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
1/2 cup (125 ml) toasted wheat germ
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Splenda
2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 - 750 ml tubs of low-fat plain/ natural yogurt with NO gelatin listed in the ingredients (I used 1% fat yogurt)
1/4- 1/3 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 eggs

THE EVENING BEFORE: line a wire mesh sieve with paper towel, and empty the yogurt tubs into the sieve. Let stand over the sink or a large bowl overnight to let the liquid drain off the yogurt. In the morning- yogurt cheese!

Combine cracker crumbs, wheat germ and first amount of Splenda in food processor. While processor is on low speed, slowly add olive oil. When crumbs and oil are well combined, press firmly into bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.Bake at 350* F., for about 10 minutes, til lightly browned and set.

Lower oven temperature to 325 * F.

Beat yogurt cheese, second amount of Splenda and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 25- 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Top with fresh berries or pie filling, and garnish with dessert topping as you like. Store leftover cheesecake in the fridge.

For 8 servings, per serving:
219 calories
8.5 g fat
55 mg cholesterol
25.26 g carbohydrates
1.125 g fiber
8.3 g sugars
12.35 g protein
196.75 mg sodium

For 12 servings, per serving:
146 calories
5.6 g fat
37 mg cholesterol
16.8 g carbohydrates
.75 g fiber
5.55 g sugars
8.23 g protein
131 mg sodium

Low-Fat, High Fibre Graham Wafer Crumb Crust

Taken from a Reader's Digest recipe, this is the one I use for Key Lime Pie. Use it for Cheesecakes, or squares that have a graham wafer crumb crust. Make 1 and 1/2 times the recipe or double it to cover a spring form pan.

1 cup (250 ml) low-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
1/2 cup (125 ml) toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Splenda
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

Combine cracker crumbs, wheat germ and Splenda in food processor. While processor is on low speed, slowly add olive oil. When crumbs and oil are well combined, press firmly into bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.Bake at 350* F., for about 10 minutes, til lightly browned and set.

Danish Apple Bars

This is based on the recipe of the same name in the "Company's Coming Desserts" cookbook. I've kicked up the fibre and replaced the sugar with artificial sweetener. If you're cooking for non-diabetics as well as diabetics, you can make it half and half (sugar/ sweetener)- just remember which half is which! The "Glaze" is optional and makes these pastries extra special, but they'll add 9 g of sugar/ carbs per piece.

CRUST:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (300 ml)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (300 ml)
1 teaspoon salt (5 ml)
1 cup margarine (250 ml)

1 egg yolk
skim milk to make 2/3 cup (175 ml)

FILLING*:

1 cup crushed bran flakes cereal (250 ml)
4 large apples, cored and thinly sliced (leave the peel on for added fibre)
1/2 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener (125 ml) (or 1/4 cup/ 50 ml for half, and 1/2 cup/ 125 ml sugar for the other half)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (5 ml)

1 egg white

GLAZE:

1 cup icing sugar (225 ml)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons water (25-30 ml)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (2 ml)

*One large can (540 ml) pie filling can be used in place of apples. Omit sweetener/sugar and cinnamon. Adjust the carbohydrate content according to the nutritional information on the can.

Crust: Measure flours, salt and butter into bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly.

Using a fork, beat yolk with small amount of milk in measuring cup. Add milk to make 1/2 cup (125 ml) Add to flour mixture. (Food processor works well for making the crust. Use Pulse action to cut in butter, then add liquid ingredients with the blade running, and then continue to pulse until dough holds together and makes a ball) Mix and shape into 2 equal balls. Roll 1 ball into 11 x 15 inch size, and put into a 9 x 13 inch baking sheet, pressing up sides. (The original recipe calls for a 10 x 15 inch Jelly Roll pan, but I found it challenging to make the dough stretch that far. It works, but is easier and less fussy to use the smaller pan. Try rolling dough between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Transfer with the paper.)

Filling: Scatter bran flakes over crust. Arrange apple slices over crumbs. Cover with sweetener and cinnamon. Roll remaining pastry to cover the top. Moisten bottom crust edges. Cover with pastry and seal. Cut slits in top crust.

Beat egg white stiff. Brush over crust. Bake at 350* F for about 1 hour, until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Drizzle with glaze while warm.

Cut into 24 pieces.

Per Serving: 1 piece
Calories: 144
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fats: 0.06 g
Sodium: 198 mg
Potassium: 6.8 mg
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Fibre: 1.8 g
Sugars: 5.6 g
Protein: 2.2 g

Key Lime Pie

1 cup (250 ml) low-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
1/2 cup (125 ml) toasted wheat germ
1 Tbsp (15 ml) Splenda
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 cups (450 ml) skim milk powder
1 1/3 cup (324 ml) Splenda
2/3 cup (150 ml) water
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter or margarine
6 egg yolks
1 pound (454 g) key limes

Combine cracker crumbs, wheat germ and first amount of Splenda in food processor. While processor is on low speed, slowly add olive oil. When crumbs and oil are well combined, press firmly into bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.Bake at 350* F., for about 10 minutes, til lightly browned and set.

In blender, combine skim milk powder, second amount of Splenda, water and margarine. Blend until smooth and thick. Add egg yolks. Mix until smooth.

Zest the limes until you have 1/8 cup (25 ml) if desired. (Adding the lime zest is optional, but adds flavor to the pie) Squeeze the limes to make 3/4- 1 cup (175 ml- 250 ml) juice.

Add lime juice and zest to blender. Mix til smooth, at least 2 minutes.

Pour blender contents into pie crust, and bake at 350*F for 10 -15 minutes. Center should be set, but will wiggle when shaken. Cool to room temperature (45 min- 1 hour), then refrigerate for 2 1/2 - 3 hours before serving.

Serve with your choice of whipped topping.

*Note for People Who Don't Have Sugar Issues: You can replace Splenda, in all cases, with granulated sugar. You may, further, chose to use Borden's (or cheaper store brand) Sweetened Condensed Milk. Instead of using a blender, use beaters or wire whisk and replace skim milk powder, second amount of Splenda, water and margarine with 450 ml (1 1/2 cans) sweetened condensed milk. Measure Sweetened Condensed Milk into large bowl, add the eggs and lime juice as per the recipe.

**Note for Busy People:

If you have children to chase after, (or other homely distractions) try getting everything ready in stages, as the actual assembly is very quick.

Limes can be zested, and the zest kept in a small snack bag or container in the fridge.

Squeeze the juice and store it in a jar in the fridge.

The skim milk powder, Splenda, water and butter for the filling can be mixed ahead of time. Store it in a jar or container in the fridge. (this combination is actually a double recipe of home-made sweetened condensed milk, using Splenda instead of sugar)

Mix the crackers, wheat germ and Splenda for the crust, and store in a bag/container in the fridge til you're ready to make the pie.

When you have time to assemble the pie, dump the crumb mixture in the food processor and add the olive oil. Then, while the pie crust is baking combine all the filling ingredients in the blender.