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Enjoy A Great Cheesecake Without the Guilt

Written by Corinne Copelan

Thursday, 03 December 2009

Am I the only one who Loooves cheesecake, but try to stay away from it as much as possible because the New York style cheese cakes are so good but so rich? Of course not. We try so hard to not gain weight, that to indulge means pounds to deal with. So now, when I buy cheese cake for my family I tell the kids it is for them...and I leave the room when they have some.
But what if you could have your cake and eat too? Or at least a nice piece.
I found recently an old recipes I took down some 25 years ago from an old European lady “Naomi” who went to Israel in her youth. She was in charge of the Bakery where I worked some times when I lived for a few years in a Kibbutz in Israel. I was then learning Hebrew and as all the students there, we paid for our studies and our keep by working half the day in various jobs around the community. Some times it was picking oranges in the orchard, working in the nursery, or the dining room, but I really liked working in the bakery. Naomi was such a character. She came out as grouchy to the unfamiliar observer. But she was to me a strong lady with a hidden soft side: she baked cakes for all the soldiers and old folks every Fridays. After working with her many days, I took the courage to ask her for her cheese cake recipe that she guarded jealously. And I must say it took me a few trials before succeeding.

   Now, if you search for cheesecake recipes on the web it always is New York style with the cheese used being cream cheese and some time also heavy cream added. Naomi’s version is made from sour cream and lemon, the end result being a very light and fluffy cheese cake. But he thing is, after living in America for more than 23 years, I do like the rich New York style cheese cake very much. So this week I was craving a nice piece of cheese cake for me and my family but I wished fore a lesser fat count. I decided to try to create a compromise between Naomi’s cake (very light but not rich enough) and New York style (maybe too rich).
   The end result was great, very tasty, and easy to make at home. The bonus of this recipe, like in the one from Naomi, is that you don’t need Graham crackers for the crust or any other cookies. You just make it from flour, sugar and eggs, so it is one less item to worry about having in your pantry. This recipe is made with one tube (1 lb.) sour cream and one package (8 oz) cream cheese, making it also very economical compared to 4 to 6 cream cheese packages that other recipes call for. Also the lemon add a fruity taste that makes it unnecessary for extra toppings (and less calories). Unless of course you have guests and you want to indulge them. You can also just add some confectioner's sugar on top and a few fresh berries in the plate.
   So please Enjoy!

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Corinne’s Cheese Cake
      8 to 12 servings
Crust:
100 g margarine or   butter(a little less than a stick of 113g)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Cheese filling:
A)
1 lb. sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
6 yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 lemon zest
1 lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
B)
6 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar

For the crust, melt the margarine or butter. Beat lightly the eggs and the sugar, add the flour, baking powder, mix, then add melted margarine or butter. Mix well until smooth then pour into a round cheesecake mold, not smaller than 9” in diameter and 2.5” deep (cheesecake molds are a good investment since their removable bottom make your life easier for any other cake you bake). Cook at 350º 10 -15 minutes until pale yellow.
While the crust is cooking, in a mixer steer 1 pound sour cream, 8 ounce cream cheese, 1 1/2 cup sugar, starting slow then liquify, transfer to a bowl, add then the yolks and lemon juice, mix shortly then add the flour and zest and mix.
In a different bowl, beat the whites with the rest of the sugar (3/4 cup), then fold gently into the cheese mixture. By then the crust would be ready and waiting. Pour the cheese filling in the mold on top of the crust and cook at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mn until a knife in the center   come back with dry cheese cake rather than wet. The cake should by then look golden all over.