Sunday, February 28, 2010

Honey Yogurt Cheesecake


I have become addicted to Greek yogurt. A cup of plain yogurt with a generous swirl of honey and slivered almonds is my daily breakfast and the thing I crave the rest of day.
I am constantly sampling new brands on a quest to find my favorite. During this market research I found myself eating the creamiest dreamiest cup of yogurt ever. As I was mmming and aaahhing and declaring that I had found my favorite, I spied the nutrional content - 14, yes 14, fat grams! As I finished off what started as breakfast and quickly became dessert, I commented how much it tasted like cheesecake. Creative cooking juices flowing, I set out to come up with a cheesecake made from Greek yogurt, honey, and almonds.
I knew I wanted to use marscapone cheese too and ended up with a combination of reduced-fat cream cheese, marscapone, and Greek yogurt. Honey provided sweetness in both the cake and the crust lieu of sugar and almonds were in the crust as well as sprinkled over the top. A little almond extract bumped up the almond flavor nicely. I was pretty pleased with the final result - a creamy, rich cheesecake that wasn't too heavy. While not low-fat, it doesn't pack the fat overload of a traditional cheesecake!
Let me know what you think!
Linking to Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight - Honey
Honey Yogurt Cheesecake
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs 3 Tbsp butter, melted 2 Tbsp honey 1/4 cup sliced almonds Filling 8 oz light cream cheese, softened 8 oz marscapone cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup honey 2 eggs 6 oz greek yogurt (non-fat) 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp almond extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the crust ingredients together in a bowl. Pour in a 9 inch springform pan. (Spray first if not using a non-stick pan). Pat crust filling into bottom of pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place cream cheese and marscapone cheese in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip cheeses together until combined and fluffy. Add honey and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until filling is well combined and smooth. Pour into over prepared crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until middle of cake is almonst set. Let cool and then refrigerate for several hours before serving. Drizzle slices with honey and toasted almonds.
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4 comments:

Tell me what ya think!

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