Life's great journey is made up of day by day delights.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

You deserve a treat!!!

Ok! I know a lot of my posts seem to be about food but what can I say? I have to maintain my girlish figure somehow! ;-) This is a new one I really liked from http://www.eatbetteramerica.com/! I love this site! They provide lots of yummy recipes but in a way that cuts calories while not sacrificing flavor. These mini cheesecakes are pretty easy and a definite crowd pleaser! Look for my alterations at the end.
57% less fat • 61% less sat fat • 37% fewer calories than the original recipe—see the comparison. Tempt your tastebuds with a chocolaty cheesecake that's easier on the waistline, once in a while. From eatbetteramerica.


Prep Time:20 min

Start to Finish:2 hr 25 min

makes:12 servings



Cheesecakes

12 foil baking cups

12 thin chocolate wafer cookies (from 9-oz package), crushed (2/3 cup)

12 oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1 oz bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Topping

1/3 cup fat-free hot fudge topping

Fresh raspberries, if desired



1. Heat oven to 325°F. Place foil baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. With back of spoon, firmly press slightly less than 1 tablespoon cookie crumbs in bottom of each foil cup.

2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in cocoa. Beat in whole egg and egg white until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate. Divide cheese mixture evenly among crumb-lined foil cups.

3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on cooling rack 15 minutes. Remove cheesecakes from pan; cool 15 minutes longer. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled.

4. To serve, carefully remove foil baking cups. Spread fudge topping on cheesecakes. Garnish with raspberries. Store cheesecakes covered in refrigerator.

** I had no chocolate wafers and for some reason could find them no where SO in place of those I bought some Kroger brand chocolate graham crackers. I crushed them and added a little butter to make them pressable since without the butter they are quite dry. Thankfully I tested out the hot fudge topping beforehand and it was just not good. So instead I made a quick ganache out of 4 unsweetened chocolate cubes, about 1/2 cup of 1/2 and 1/2 and maybe 1/2 cup of sugar....I really just eyeballed it so my measurements may be a bit off. To make the ganache, I filled a small pot with some water and let it heat up while setting a glass bowl on top of that. The glass bowl just set on top of the pot, the bottom barely resting in the water. In the bowl I put the chocolate, 1/2 and 1/2, and sugar and melted it slowly (test first, make sure you are happy with the consistency and taste). I then put the ganache on top of the cheesecakes. I had no raspberries (which I <3) so I used strawberries instead which were equally divine. I sliced my strawberries at an angle and not all the way through and then fanned them out to "fancy" them up a bit. I know, I know....the ganache may have defeated the whole "healthy" aspect of this yummy treat but honestly I think it was better than the stuff in a jar. The hot fudge topping tasted fake and was full of stuff my body doesn't want or need. These lil' yummies are kind of small but surprisingly filling and most definitely satisfying! Let me know what you think of them! :-)

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