Wallow Night - Part 2

Like I said before, one of the essential components of a wallow night is really good food.  Naturally, I chose cheesecake as part of my wallow meal!  

I cannot think of anything better than cheesecake.  I absolutely LOVE cheesecake.  It's funny; I didn't grow up eating it.  I don't think I actually had a piece of cheesecake until I was in college, and now it is my favorite dessert.

Although I love cheesecake, I am not such a fan of how unhealthy it is.  When I was flipping through some Cooking Light cookbooks, I found recipes for light cheesecakes and decided that I needed to try to make one.  

I was concerned that the cheesecake would not be firm enough because the recipe called for low-fat and fat-free cream cheese, but it turned out really well.  The texture was slightly different than the previous cheesecakes I have made.  It wasn't so dense, and it seemed a little "spongier."  It tasted amazing though!

Zebra-Stripe Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust - 

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 cookie sheets)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cooking spray

Filling - 

3 (8 ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 (8 ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  To prepare crust, combine cracker crumbs and butter in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist.  Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.

3.  To prepare filling, beat cheeses at high speed of a mixer until smooth.  Add sugar, milk, and vanilla, beating well.  Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Pour half of cheese mixture into another bowl. Add chocolate to remaining batter.  Pour one-third of white batter into prepared pan.  Pour one-half of chocolate batter in center of white batter; spread to within 1 inch of edge of white batter.  Pour one-third of white batter in center of chocolate batter; spread to within 1 inch of edge of chocolate batter.  Pour remaining chocolate batter in center of white batter; spread to within 1 inch of edge of white batter.  Pour remaining white batter in center of chocolate batter; spread to within 1 inch of edge of chocolate batter.  The design on top should look like a target.

4.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set.  Cheesecake is done when center barely moves when pan is touched.  Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge.  Cool to room temperature.  Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

Source:  Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2001