Yogurt Cheesecake: We’re Down With It
Yogurt cheese, a thick, creamy, tangy yogurt concentrate, is a wonderful substitute for sour cream in many dessert recipes. It’s made by spooning nonfat plain yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined strainer, putting it in the refrigerator and letting the yogurt drain several hours.
In this cheese tart, yogurt cheese, low-fat ricotta cheese and egg whites take the place of their high-fat counterparts, while the crust is made of vanilla wafer crumbs patted into a lightly buttered baking pan. The tart is missing only the fat and calories of a cheesecake, not the flavor.
Be sure to use a food processor to give the cheese mixture a light, fluffy texture with the greatest possible volume.
Ginger Cheese Tart
Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour plus 6 to 8 hours standing
1 quart plain nonfat yogurt
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/3 cup nonfat milk
3 egg whites
2 1/2 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup minced candied ginger
1 cup raspberries
1 cup sliced strawberries
To make the yogurt cheese, place the yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Fold the cheesecloth to cover the yogurt and let it stand over a deep bowl in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Discard any liquid in the bowl.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly butter the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the vanilla wafer crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and pat them firmly in place.
Combine 2 cups of the yogurt cheese, the ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup of sugar, nonfat milk, egg whites, cake flour and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor. Process the cheese filling until blended. Stir in the ginger and pour into the crust.
Bake the tart just until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool to warm.
Combine the raspberries, strawberries and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a food processor or blender and puree. Serve with the tart.
12 servings. Each serving: 217 calories; 134 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.21 grams fiber.