Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake: Light in Fat and Calories

Feast Your Eyes!'s Note:

Traditional chocolate cheesecake is easily lightened in fat and calories by making a few changes in this recipe's ingredient list. These changes have allowed more than 500 calories to be shaved from each serving WITHOUT sacrificing one morsel of flavor.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• nonstick cooking spray
• 9 chocolate wafer cookies , crushed
• 1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese , drained
• 1 (8 ounce) package neufchatel cheese , softened
• ½ cup egg substitute (if frozen, thaw)
• 3 ¼ tablespoons skim milk
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (or other orange-flavored liqueur or brandy)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• low-fat whipped cream
• bittersweet chocolate curls
• assortment of fresh berries (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; dust bottom and sides with the crushed wafers.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the ricotta and Neufchatel cheeses in a large mixing bowl at medium speed - Beat for 3 minutes, or until smooth.
4. Add the egg substitute and milk, beat well. Add the cocoa and the nex three ingredients, continuing to beat well.
5. At high speed with the electric mixer, beat the egg whites (at room temperature) until soft peaks form; gradually add the sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) and beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture; spoon over crushed chocolate wafers.
7. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour (Note: Center will be soft, but will firm-up while chilling). Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool to room temperatue; cover and chill at least 4 hours.
9. Remove sides of springform pan. Keep refrigerated and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate curls. (Using a potato peeler, scrape warmed chocolate square to make chocolate curls.) If desired, serve with an assortment of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
10. Refrigerate leftovers.