Oh Splendida Cheesecake

1Steve's Note:

This is a delicious and easy to make diabetic cheesecake. I have added regular ingredient equivalents so that non-diabetics can enjoy it to. I have made this with Splenda as well as sugar with good results, however it has not been tested with other sugar substitutes such as Equal, so I can't vouch for the results if you try to substitute other sweeteners for Splenda. This is really good and just as good without the caramel toping using any sugarfree fruit toping of your choice. One reviewer had trouble keeping the caramel soft after melting, but I suspect she overheated it. In any case the reason for melting whole caramels was because this was originally an RSC contest entry and they were a requirement. That said, if you can find sugar free caramel ice cream topping feel free to substitute it, and you won't have to worry about the topping getting too hard.

• Total Time: 25 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 24 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-12

Yield: 1.0 10inch ...

• 1 ½ lbs ricotta cheese (whole milk ricotta works best)
• 1 lb cream cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 cup Splenda sugar substitute (or 1 cup Sugar)
• 1 (1 lb) package sugar-free caramels (or 1 pound package Kraft caramels)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 (1 lb) package pecan halves
• plain breadcrumbs (for dusting pan)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Cream together the ricotta and cream cheese (if using regular sugar beat it into the ricotta and cream cheese mixture until well blended).
3. If using Splenda hold and add at step 6.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in well.
5. Add the vanilla and orange extract.
6. Spoon in the flour, sour cream and Splenda (if using), mix well.
7. Mixture will be loose; don't worry.
8. Grease a 10 inch spring form pan with butter or margarine and dust with bread crumbs (merely helps cake not to stick) Pour cheese cake batter into prepared pan and bake at 325ºF for about 1 hour (cake has a tendency to crack. Don't worry, the topping will cover any crack).
9. (Tip: if you didn't beat properly and discover you have lumps of cream cheese at the bottom as you are pouring into the pan, since there is no crust you can use an electic hand mixer and beat the cream cheese right in the pan) Cool cake completely.
10. In the top of a double boiler melt the caramels with 2 Tablespoons of oil stirring until nice and smooth.
11. Spread the melted caramels over the top of the cooled cheesecake.
12. Arrange the pecan halves in a nice pattern pressing them gently into the still warm caramel.
13. Refrigerate the cheesecake preferably overnight.

Reviews

[TOOLBELT DIVA]

This recipe did not turn out very well. After spreading the melted caramels over the top of the cheesecake, the caramel cooled and returned to its original form, only in one great large slab of candy. I was left with a cheesecake I could not slice because the topping could not be cut. The recipe does not tell us when to add the 2 tsps orange extract, so I left it out. Orange extract appears in the ingredients, but not in the instructions. I carefully followed the instructions, as to ingredients, quantities, etc. but this cheesecake did not do as expected. I used the Splenda method and added the sweetener at Step 6, as instructed, not at Step 5, as suggested.. Accurate instructions are critical to the final result of a recipe. [Editor's Note: Recipe was updated as a result of this review.]

[Alley]

This recipe will be a mainstay at my house. I like the use of Splenda. Now if only someone would come up with a low cholesterole version! Perhaps one could use egg substitute and the low fat cottage cheese and sour cream....... Good luck. Alley