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Creamy Yogurt Cheesecake




Source of Recipe


SHAPE Magazine


List of Ingredients




Cooking spray
16 gingersnaps, broken into pieces (or 1 cup graham-cracker crumbs)
3 egg whites, divided
1 cup lowfat (1 percent) cottage cheese, drained in a fine-mesh strainer for 30 minutes
Yogurt cheese from 1 pint (16 ounces) plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt (See "Making Yogurt Cheese")
1 package (8 ounces) lowfat cream cheese (Neufchatel), at room temperature, cut into chunks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberries (optional)

Recipe



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Pulse gingersnaps using a food processor until they become fine crumbs. (If using graham-cracker crumbs, skip this step but place crumbs in the food-processor bowl.) With a small whisk or fork, beat 1 egg white in a medium bowl until foamy. Add 1 tablespoon egg white to the crumbs and pulse to blend. (Note: Crumbs should be moist, not wet.) Add more egg white if necessary, but don't let mixture become too wet. Transfer crumb mixture to springform pan; with dampened fingers press crumbs evenly onto bottom. Bake until browned and set, 8-10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F.

Meanwhile, rinse out and dry the food-processor bowl. Process cottage cheese until smooth. Add the yogurt cheese, cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon and orange zests. Process until well blended. Pour into a large bowl.

Without rinsing out the food-processor bowl, add the eggs, remaining 2 egg whites and vanilla, and process until blended. Pour over cheese mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until blended. Pour mixture into cake pan with pre-baked crumb crust. Place on center rack in oven and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F. Bake until cheesecake is set in middle and edges are golden, about 1 hour. Turn off oven; open door and let cake cool inside for 30 minutes. Refrigerate cake until chilled, at least 6 hours, or overnight.

To serve, remove cake from refrigerator and let stand for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of pan and place cake, still on cake-pan bottom, onto a serving plate. Garnish with berries, if desired. For best results, cut the cake with a knife blade dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each slice