Winter Dessert

'Tis the season to be entertaining! Whether you're bringing it to a party or gathering or doing the big meal yourself, if you're looking for a delicious dessert that won't break the bank or your diet, have I got the dish for you! This is a raspberry cheesecake recipe whose foundation is borrowed from Paula Deen's "Joann's Almost Fat Free Lemon Cheesecake" with some adjustments and my very own raspberry sauce recipe twisted in.

Raspberry Cheesecake

Serves 16

Ingredients: 

Crust:
1 3/4 cup crushed reduced fat Nilla wafers (Ralphs - $3 per box)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of melted unsalted butter (Ralphs - $2 for 4 sticks, $.25 used)

Filling:
24 oz (3-8oz packages) fat free Philadelphia brand cream cheese (Ralphs - $9)
1 cup fat free Knudsen brand sour cream (Ralphs $1.20 for a tub)
2 cups sugar (Ralphs store brand box - $1.50)
3/4 cup egg substitute - I use Trader Joe's Brand (Trader Joe's - $1.99 for a whole carton)

Raspberry Sauce:
1.5 cups frozen raspberries (Trader Joe's - $2 for a bag, using about half the bag for $1)
1 tbsp sugar (From other box)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (1 lemon from Trader Joe's - $.49, using half a lemon or so for about $.25)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Put crushed Nilla wafers in a bowl with melted butter and mix together. Spray a springform pan with fat free canola cooking spray and press crumb mixture into the bottom and about 1/2 inch to 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake crust for 8-10 minutes until set and light to golden brown in color. After baking, let the crust cool completely while making the filling.
• For the sauce, rinse the raspberries lightly to thaw them and drain. Put them in a small saucepan with the tablespoon of sugar and lemon juice. Stir to break up pieces as it heats. Mash whatever raspberries do not liquefy and bring to a light simmer. Set aside and let cool.
• For the filling, beat together the cream cheese and sour cream until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Slowly add in the sugar while beating. Once all the sugar is mixed in, beat in the egg substitute 1/4 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Pour into the cooled crust.
• Gently pour the sauce over the filling, mostly in the center with about a 1-2" border from the edge. With a knife, lightly swirl the sauce with the filling to make a marbled pattern. When done, put in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, giving up to 15 minutes extra if needed. It's done when the center still jiggles a little but is not runny.
• Cool completely and refrigerate for a few hours up to overnight before serving. Just before serving separate the springform pan for presentation.

Total cost: $18, or about $1.13 a serving. This may seem like a splurge for a dessert, but trust me, it tastes so decadent and neither you nor your guests will ever guess it's a light version! Considering a raspberry cheesecake from the store will run upwards of 500 calories a slice and won't look anywhere near as pretty, this dessert is definitely worth it.
Nutrition Facts per serving: 130g, 232 calories, 3.3g fat (1.8g saturated, 0 trans), 17mg cholesterol, 334mg sodium, 40.7g carbs, 1g fiber, 35.7g sugar, 9g protein, [Vit A 17%, Vit C 8%, Calcium 23%, Iron 2%]

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. May your stomach be full and your grocery bill be small!