It hardly seems possible: a low-fat cooky cheesecake - recipes - Lightening Up

Sunset, August, 1991

Don't be deceived by the rich-tasting filling and sweet cookies that stud this cheesecake. It's leaner than it seems.

In our popular cooky cheesecake recipe from May 1987, ingredients included cream cheese, whole eggs, and an abundance of chocolate sandwich cookies for crust and filling. Here, we switch to neufchatel (light cream) cheese, nonfat cottage cheese, egg whites, chocolate wafer cookies for the crust, and a satisfying number of sandwich cookies for the creamy filling.

The cake is not as dense or sweet as the original. But our tasters liked the flavors, and most couldn't tell they were eating a low-flat cheesecake.

Lean Chocolate Cooky Cheesecake

Cookies may float or sink. 2 cups (1 carton, 16 oz.) nonfat large-or small-curd cottage cheese 2 packages (8 oz. each) neufchatel (light cream) cheese, cut inot chunks 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar 1 package (5 1/4 oz., about 14) chocolate sandwich cookies, or 14 dark chocolate wafer cookies Lean chocolate crust (recipe follows)

In a blender or food processor, puree cottage cheese, neufchatel, egg whites, flour, vanilla, and sugar (use 1/2 cup with sandwich cookies, 3/4 cup with wafer cookies) until smooth.

Pour 2/3 of the cheese mixture into crust. Break cookies in half and scatter over mixture, overlapping cookies, if needed. Pour remaining cheese mixture over and around cookies.

Set pan on a 10- by 15-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 [degrees] oven until filling jiggles only slightly in center when pan is gently shaken, 25 tp 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully run a knife between cake and pan sides. Let cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight (for firmest filling). Remove pan rim. Cut into wedges. Serves 12 to 16.

Per serving: 255 cal.; 9.4 g protein; 11 g fat (4.2 g sat.); 29 g carbo.; 404 mg sodium; 24 mg chol.

Per seving original chocolate cooky cheesecake (May 1987, page 180): 502 cal.; 8.1 g protein; 35 g fat (16 g sat.); 40 g carbo.; 445 mg sodium; 158 mg chol.

Lean chocolate crust. In a blender of food processor, whirl 1 package (9 oz.) dark chocolate wafer cookies to make fine crumbs (you should have about 2 1/2 cups). Whirl 1 large egg white in processor or whisk slightly with a for, then whirl or mix in crumbs just until evenly moinstened. Press crumbs over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9-inch cheesecake pan with a removable rim. Bake in a 300 [degrees] oven until slightly firmer when pressed, about 20 minutes.