Lemon-Yogurt Cheesecake

From EatingWell: Charter Issue, 1990 — Subscribe Now!

This cheesecake invites guiltless indulgence. It is best chilled and served the same day. If you don't have cherries, substitute an additional 1 cup blueberries.

16 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 6 1/4 hours (plus overnight to drain yogurt)

Nutrition Profile

Low sodium | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup graham-cracker crumbs
1/2 cup gingersnap crumbs
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup canola oil, or corn oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cheesecake

2 cups yogurt cheese, made from 48 ounces low-fat yogurt
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
4 eggs, at room temperature, well beaten
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup low-fat yogurt, (8 ounces)

Mixed Fruit Topping

4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
12 strawberries, quartered lengthwise

Preparation

To make crust: Butter and chill a 9-inch spring-form pan. Mix all ingredients together. Press into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan. Chill at least 15 minutes.
To make cheesecake: Preheat oven to 300°F. Beat together yogurt cheese, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and peel with an electric mixer. Stir in yogurt. Spoon mixture carefully into the crust-lined pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the center sets. Cool in the over with the door ajar for 1 hour. Refrigerate 3 hours or more and unmold.
To make topping: Combine 2 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in small saucepan. Blend well, add blueberries and boil gently 2 to 3 minutes until mixture clears. Remove from heat and cool.
In a separate saucepan, prepare cherries in the same manner, with the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons honey. Spread a layer of cherries around the outside edge of cheesecake. Spread blueberries over the rest of the cheesecake, leaving a circle in the center of cake bare. Arrange strawberries in a flower pattern in the center and brush lightly with 1 teaspoon honey.

Tips & Notes

Tip: To make 2 cups of yogurt cheese, line a colander with a large cotton towel or double thickness of cheesecloth, and place the colander in the sink. Pour in 6 cups low-fat yogurt. After 15 minutes, transfer the colander to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours or overnight. Gathering the edges of the towel together, gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. Transfer cheese to a separate container. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps 1 week.

Nutrition

Per serving: 263 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 1 g fiber; 147 mg sodium; 236 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat