REDUCED FAT LEMON & GINGER CHEESECAKE: prep ahead; easy; not yet tested for dairy-free

Magnificent American Style baked cheesecake that's light, refreshing and satisfying...and reduced fat!

Light & lemony baked cheesecake, American style (in a 9x13inch pan)
'Excellent taste & texture!' 'Lovely burst of lemon' 'Really, really great' Tasters

Note: This recipe has not been tested with dairy-free products but 

similar recipes have wofrked well with minor adjustments (see Tips)

67 loves the weight and creaminess of American cheesecake but in London you can never be sure what you'll find on your plate.  Some are so dense they're almost unpleasant, some contain gelatine or condensed milk (both no-no's as far as 67 is concerned) and some are as light as air but almost insubstantial.  Disappointing when slices are £6.50 and more.

67's Lemon & Ginger Cheesecake falls between the dense and the insubstantial - in a good way.  One taster said the 'consistency was that of a good French patisserie'.

Partly this is due to replacing ricotta with reduced fat cottage cheese (which also cuts cholesterol in what is already a high-fat/dairy product).  Lemon zest and juice were bumped up for added flavour then combined with a slurry of cornflour and water to maintain 'body' in the final product. 

Cheesecake Bars

The base of coarsely processed ginger snaps - which does not go soggy - is the perfect contrast to the fine texture of the cheesecake.  

If you have a good food processor, nearly all the cheesecake ingredients can be blitzed in one go.  Otherwise, a hand mixer with a powerful motor will be fine.

Cheesecake, US style
(Stock Photo)

This is not a frugal dessert but it makes a deep 9inch/23cm cheesecake which will feed a crowd.

To make it go further, and to encourage portion control, bake it in a rectangular pan 9x13in/23x33cm and cut into bars.  Either way, it's perfect for a gathering.

Start early; the cheesecake takes several hours to cool. 

Cost: £10'ish or thereabouts (i.e. *65-45p a portions)
Serves: 15 slices/24 bars

Ingredients: 
   250gm/9oz own-brand ginger snaps
     40gm/1.5oz melted dairy or plant butter  

  340gm/12oz cream cheese (67 likes a specialist product like Roni's; Philadelphia or a supermarket own brand, if not too wet, will be fine but flavour miight not be as rich)
   454gm/16oz reduced fat cottage cheese**(you will likely need 1x500gm plus a small tub)
(both the above at room temperature)
  
   1 1/3 cup sugar
  
   4 medium eggs at room temp

   1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
   2 tablespoons lemon zest
   1/2 tsp vanilla

   1.5 tablespoons cornstarch  (see tips)
   1.5 tablespoons water (see tips) 

Garnish: icing sugar
   and/or fresh fruit

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f
2. Pour 1.5 tubs reduced fat cottage cheese into a strainer and allow liquid to drip through
3. Line the base of a 9inch/23cm springform pan (removable sides) with greaseproof paper.  Brush sides liberally with fat.  OR line rectangular pan 9x13inch/23x33cm with greaseproof paper.
4. Roughly process ginger snaps into coarse rubble - fine bits & crunchy bits. (Or place biscuits in a strong plastic bag and bash with a heavy rolling pin).  Mix with melted fatr and press into the pan the back of a measuring cup to make an even layer.  Bake 10 mins; cool.
5. TURN OVEN DOWN TO 165c/325f
6. Measure out 454gm/16oz strained cottage cheese into a bowl; process or use a stick blender to remove lumps (it looks like cream cheese when ready)
7. If you have a good food processor, place cheeses, sugar, eggs, lemon juice & zest & vanilla into the bowl and process finely OR
8. Othjerwise, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until soft.  Add blitzed cottage cheese; blend.  Beat in sugar gradually.  Add eggs one at at time, mixing well after each one.  Beat in lemon peel & juice and vanilla.  
9. Mix cornstarch and cold water to form a paste; pour into cheesecake mix
10. Beat/process on high speed till well combined
11. Pour into the pan
12. Bake in the oven 1 hour 10 minutes or until golden around the edges with a slightly wobbly middle.
13. Turn oven OFF; return cheesecake to oven; shut door.  Leave at least 4 hours or overnight .  
14. When completely cold, dust lightly with icing sugar

Comments:
'Excellent...enjoyed the texture and taste.' Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell
'Perfect texture; I savoured every mouthful.' Local Council Candidate 

'A lovely burst of lemon that's refreshing; it has the consistency of a good French patisserie.' Political Agent

'Great!  Really really great!  I love cheesecake; this one is really good.' Campaign manager
'I feel so much better after having that!' Busy Local councillor 
'I love that the base is not soggy!' Retired writer

Tips:

• if going dairy free, increase cornflour and water to 2tbsp each; ensure eggs are not too big
• if cholesterol isn't an issue, ricotta or ordinary cottage cheese can be used
• ginger snaps can be replaced with digestives (plain or chocolate)
• if you liked this, you will probably also like No-bake Orange Cointreau Cheesecake

* Philadelphia cream cheese periodically goes on special at Tesco

** 67 used M&S cottage cheese

 For more low-cal desserts,  go to NavBar: RecipesII/Skinny...

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.