New York Style Cheesecake with Nut Crust
Note: Makes 1 9-inch cake, which can be cut into 12 goodly slices. This recipe can be baked without the crust if you want to lower the carb count further or macadamia nuts can be used in place of Brazil nuts.Total Carb count with nut crust 105, with out nut crust 65
Crust:
Ingredients:
2 cups raw Brazil nuts
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. Brown Sugar Twin
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
Filling:
2 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
pinch of salt
5 Tbsp. granular Splenda
5 Tbsp. granular Sugar Twin
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
6 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and coat the inside of the pan with soft butter.
If you are using raw Brazil nuts, spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes until they are lightly golden. If using roasted macadamia nuts, omit the roasting. Let cool. While the nuts are toasting, melt the butter. Transfer the nuts to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Pat evenly into the bottom of the springform pan. Place in the fridge.
Increase the oven temperature to 500°F. In a food processor or mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sweeteners, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla and process or beat until combined. Add the egg yolks and then the eggs, two at a time, beating until incorporated before you add the next two. Remember to scrape the bowl frequently while you are mixing.
Carefully pour the filling over the chilled crust and place the springform on a rimmed baking sheet or larger pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°F and continue baking for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open the door! The cheesecake should suntill look soft in the center.
Transfer to a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, run a paring knife around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Continue cooling to room temperature. You can serve it right away, or chill.
Bourbon, Chocolate and Almond/Chocolate “Ice Cream” Cheesecake
Note: Total Carbohydrates: 53 for the whole cheesecake. Delicious and very low in carbs.
Makes 12 pieces
Rachel inspired this cheesecake by being so fond of a toasted nut crust on another cheesecake and by wanting something, small, freeze-able and cheesecake-like. It’s not small, but can be cut small and stored in the freezer for a long time. The alcohol prevents it from freezing rock hard.
Quark is a light tangy cheese, similar to cream cheese. Grocery stores carry it in the dairy section in tubs. If the flavor seems daunting, it can be made plain or you can experiment with other flavors, such as lemon, lime or orange zest and different alcohol or perk it up with a few fresh, berries, folded in to the cheese mixture.
Ingredients:
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. Splenda
1 tsp. white Sugar Twin
1/8 tsp. liquid sweetener
1/4 cup whole almonds
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. brown Sugar Twin
pinch of salt
1/2 lb. quark
1/2 lb. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. Splenda
2 Tbsp. white Sugar Twin
3/4 tsp. liquid sweetener
3 Tbsp. bourbon
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup whipping cream
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place in the freezer.
Chop the chocolate and place in a small heatproof bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water and let the chocolate melt. Remove from the pot of water and let cool to room temperature. Cut the 2 Tbsp. butter into small bits and stir into the chocolate until it melts. Stir in the sweeteners.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the almonds out on a baking tray and bake until well browned, almost to the point of being burnt, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Chop coarsely.
In a small frying pan, melt the 1Tbsp. butter over medium heat and continue melting until it turns a rich and nutty smelling brown. Add the nuts, brown Sugar Twin and a pinch of salt. Stir into the chocolate. Spread out into the frozen pan. Place back in the freezer until hardened. Break into small pieces. Return in the pan to the freezer.
Beat the quark, cream cheese, Splenda and Sugar Twin, liquid sweetener, and vanilla together until smooth and light. Beat in the egg yolks and bourbon. Stir in the chocolate almond bits. Beat the cream until stiff and fold into the cheese mixture. Beat the egg whites to firm peaks and fold into the cheese mixture. Spread evenly into the frozen pan. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Light Cheesecake Delight
Note: Makes 1 10-inch or 16 pieces only 5 carbs per serving This makes a very light cheesecake. The nutty crust is reminiscent of the middle of an Almond Rocca. Browning the almonds well and cooking the butter until browned really adds an extra dimension of taste.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup well toasted whole almonds
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. brown Sugar Twin
large pinch of cinnamon
5 tsp. gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
3 eggs, separated
2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup pourable white Sugar Twin
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Chop or pulse the almonds in a food processor so half of them are finely chopped and half of them remain coarse. In a heavy pot melt the butter over medium heat until it turns a rich, nutty smelling brown. Add the almonds, Sugar Twin and cinnamon. Stir well and press into the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan. Refrigerate.
Place 1 cup of the whipping cream in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the whipping cream and let stand until softened. Beat in the egg yolks. Over a pot of simmering water beat the mixture with a whisk until it thickens and increases slightly in volume. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the Splenda, Sugar Twin and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Beat in the gelatin mixture. Beat the remaining cream to stiff peaks and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Beat the egg whites to medium peaks and fold into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared crust and chill overnight.
To cut a cheesecake neatly, Dip your knife into very hot water and wipe the water off before making each cut. Lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper will help the crust lift off the pan cleanly.
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