Healthy Instant Ersatz-Cheesecake

Submitted by Ethan UK

"Like most people I love cheesecake, but even the low-fat ones are still pretty high in fat and sugar. I came up with this to satisfy a craving and it's delicious. It certainly satisfied the craving and I now have it very often as it is about as exceedingly healthy and good for you as real cheescake is bad for you! It's nice! Do try it!"

 

• Ready In: 2mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 1

ingredients

• 1⁄2 slice white bread (crusts removed, Preferably a very sweet bread such as Challah or honey bread)
• 3 3 tablespoons nonfat fromage frais (as thick as possible, yoghurt should be pre-strained) or 3 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt, to taste (as thick as possible, yoghurt should be pre-strained)
• artificial sweetener, to taste (granulated)
• cinnamon (optional)
• ginger (optional)
• nutmeg (optional)
• 3 3 teaspoons jam or 3 teaspoons lemon curd, to taste
• 3 tablespoons nonfat milk, to taste (depending on size of bread)

directions

1. Place the bread on plate it's to be served on.
2. Carefully sprinkle liberally with granulated sweetener and sprinkle spice/s of choice depending on what topping's going to be onto bread.
3. Carefully sprinkle milk over the bread so that the bread becomes moistened all over but not completely saturated (unless you like it like that :) and all the sweetener has been washed into the bread. Smooth the top of the bread for good measure with the back of the spoon.
4. Spoon the VERY thick strained yoghurt or quark or fromage frais (the latter is the optimum (perfect) choice - but it is usually very expensive and not available everywhere) to form the 'cheesecake' on the bread. Basically a really thick layer. Smooth it out with the back of the teaspoon.
5. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of sweetener across the top of the yoghurt but don't mix into it.
6. Sparingly sprinkle a spice or two (or not, according to what the topping is going to be) across the top of the 'ersatz-cheesecake' :).
7. Spoon the *chunky* applesauce (personal favourite!) or jam or lemon curd (also really nice!) across the top and smooth with the back of the teaspoon to form your topping.
8. If desired add a sprinkle more sweetener or sprinkled spice.
9. SERVE -- perhaps with a nice Cafe Latte!
10. The other half slice could have a different topping and would go well with a second cup of coffee!

11. TOPPING & SPICE MIX SUGGESTIONS:

12. I usually use cinnamon with applesauce. When I have fresh sweetened strawberry puree available I usually use cinnamon, but actually think strawberry jam with a light dusting of cinnamon is preferable to the fresh strawberries (odd!). Ginger is absolutely brilliant with orange marmalade and with apricot jam. For lemon curd I usually use a little ginger or cardamon but only over the bread or sometimes no spice at all for lemon curd just milk, sweetener and a little lemon juice over the bread. Squished up over-ripe bananas and strawberry jam are wonderful together with a little cinnamon. A nice thick caramelly Dulche de Leche type conserve is great too, but awfully more-ish! I haven't even dared to try Nutella!
13. This recipe kind of hangs round the thickness of the yoghurt or quark etc. You really want as thick as possible. Yoghurt tends to be a be light on the cheesy flavour and is really a last resort choice.
14. Fromage Frais or Quark are a much better choice when available.
15. If the yoghurt is the runny type then it should be pre-strained before using for this recipe.
16. Yoghurt (or homemade Quark (strained buttermilk)) straining is easiest done in a sieve resting over a bowl, the sieve lined with a couple of thickness' of paper kitchen roll or a cheesecloth until a lot of the whey has drained off. You can stir it (gently) in the sieve to speed up the process a lot - then it needs to only take about half an hour.

Reviews

[Mirj2338]

This recipe looks a lot more complicated than it actually is. It's super simple! And quite delicious! I used some of my own homebaked challah (Recipe #95386), as well as some homemade yogurt cheese that I made with some 0% yogurt. A little Splenda, a little ginger jam and a lot of enjoyment, thanks! Tonight I'm going to try this with fig jam, yum!