Lemon Swirled Cheesecake

Cooking Light May 2000

A low-fat, refreshing dessert perfect for any occasion. And half the calories of regular cheesecake! For herb lovers, try adding 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary to the crust.

This recipe can be made lactose free by replacing regular cream cheese with plant-based, dairy free cream cheese and butter with margarine.

Prep Time: 1hr | Cook Time: 1hr 15min | Total Time: 2hr 15min | Yield: 16 slices

Ingredients:

Lemon Curd

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

• 2 large egg yolks

• ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice (3 large lemons)

• 2 tablespoons butter or margaine

Crust

• ⅔ cup of all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces

• 1 tablespoon ice water

• Cooking spray

Filling

• 3 (8 ounce) blocks fat-free or plant-based, dairy free cream cheese, softened

• 2 (8 ounce) blocks ⅓-less-fat or plant-based, dairy free cream cheese, softened

• 1 ¾ cups sugar or 1 ½ cups lemon honey

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 ½ teaspoons grated lemon rind

• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 5 large eggs

• 1 cup lemon curd dip (see recipe)

Instructions:

Lemon Curd

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk.

2. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is light in color (3 minutes).

3. Stir in Lemon juice and butter. Cook 5 minutes or until mixture thinly coats back of spoon (stirring constantly with whisk).

4. Cool, cover and chill.

Crust and Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400*.

2. To prepare the crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Place ⅔ cup flour and 2 tablespoons sugar and butter in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly pour ice water through food chute, processing just until blended (do not allow dough to form a ball). Firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400* for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 325*.

4. To prepare the filling, beat cheeses at high speed of a mixer until smooth.

5. Add 1 ¾ cup sugar or 1 ½ cup honey and the next four ingredients (1 ¾ cup sugar through salt); beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

6. Pour the cheese mixture into prepared pan.

7. Spoon mounds of lemon curd over filling, and whirl together using the tip of a knife.

8. Bake at 325* for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake is almost set.

9. Remove cheesecake from oven, and cool to room temperature.

10. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

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Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: ¹⁄₁₆

Calories: 310