No cheese cheesecake: The weight-watcher's dream dessert!

This cake is flavoursome and a great sweet treat for people on avoiding a large calorie intake. Be sure to try it!

Sameea Zafar June 28, 2013
Cheesecake cravings are horribly inconvenient if you’re on a diet because this delicious dessert is as fattening as it is appetising.  Sometimes, you really wish you could have a bit without worrying about the huge calorie intake.

Well, there is a solution to your dilemma – the yummy no cheese cheesecake!

No cheese cheesecake has all the attributes of being the perfect cheesecake, except it is not made of deadly, heavy cream cheese. Its main ingredient is the much hyped Greek yoghurt. Greek yoghurt is a healthy high-protein, low-carb alternative to regular yoghurt. You can have it for breakfast with fresh fruit and cereal or use it in a variety of dips and salad dressings.

This particular recipe is a healthy version of the infamous New York cheesecake, with just the right tinge and texture. I stumbled upon it during my search for healthy dessert options and after two to three attempts, the recipe was finalised.

The cake is surprisingly easy to make. It requires minimum effort and gives impressive results. Do give it a try!

Ingredients

For the filling:

Plain yoghurt 2kg

Sugar 1-1/4 cup sugar

Eggs 4

Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons

Lemons 2

Cornstarch 1 tablespoon

For the crust:

Digestive biscuits 8-10

Butter 2 tablespoons

Brown sugar 1 teaspoon

Garnish:

Fresh fruit, cream or jam



Method:

To make Greek yoghurt, lay a piece of cheese cloth or muslin in a bowl.

Add yoghurt and let it drain by keeping it in a large sieve. You can also try gathering up the edges of the cloth and knotting them over an upper cabinet handle so that the yoghurt hangs over a bowl to drain. Drain the yoghurt for about two hours.





While the yoghurt is draining, you can make the crust. To do so, crush the digestive biscuits and add butter and brown sugar to them.



Put the mixture in a 9-inch springform pan and blend it well with your fingers. Press it on all sides of the pan to form the crust base. Now keep it in a preheated oven (180° C) for eight minutes.



Once it is nice and brown, take it out and keep it in the fridge to cool.

To make the filling, combine the strained yoghurt, eggs, sugar and vanilla and blend with a beater or food processor. Add cornstarch, lemon juice (2 tablespoons) and a pinch of salt before blending the mixture again.





Now pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake at 180° C in the oven for 35-40 minutes. After 35 minutes, check the cake for firmness. It is done when it’s set on the edges and still a bit shaky in the center.



Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the fridge for at least four hours, or overnight if possible.

Once it’s completely cooled, release the springform and take the cake out in a serving dish.



Pour some slightly heated blueberry/strawberry jam over the cake or decorate it with fresh fruits before serving.

I assure you the results will be very pleasing to your flavour-loving taste buds. Better still, you will not be feeding your  weight-watching body a ton of unhealthy calories! Best of luck recreating this recipe.

PHOTOS: SAMEEA ZAFAR

This post originally appeared here. 

Follow Sameea on Twitter @SameeaZafar
WRITTEN BY:
Sameea Zafar Sameea likes to blog about her favourite things to do, wear and eat in the city. She tweets as @SameeaZafar (https://twitter.com/SameeaZafar)
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (8)

abc | 10 years ago | Reply @ blah u pot stirrer!!
koogee | 10 years ago | Reply Two tablespoons ended up being too much lemon juice for the cheesecake. I think 1 tablespoon or even 1 teaspoon would have been enough.
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