Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake

Total Time: 26 hrs 35 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 26 hrs

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
• 3 tablespoons splenda granular, sugar substitute
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or dutch process)
• 2 tablespoons butter or 1/2 cup margarine
• 2 cups low fat cottage cheese
• 8 ounces style light cream cheese (1/3 less calories than regular cream cheese) or 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (1/3 less calories than regular cream cheese)
• 8 ounces style fat free cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups splenda granular, sugar substitute
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• chocolate curls (optional) or chocolate chips (optional)
• fat-free whipped topping (non-dairy whipped topping) (optional) or fat free cream (non-dairy whipped topping) (optional) or cool whip lite (non-dairy whipped topping)

Recipe

• 1 for the crust:
• 2 preheat oven to 350º f/180ºc.
• 3 spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• 4 if starting with whole graham crackers, place them in a blender or food processor and pulse graham crackers to make fine crumbs.
• 5 melt the 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine, if using) in a small saucepan; set aside.
• 6 place crumbs in a bowl and add the splenda, the 2 teaspoons cocoa powder and the melted butter or margarine.
• 7 stir to mix.
• 8 spoon the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
• 9 with your fingers, the back of a spoon, or a sheet of plastic wrap, press down on the crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan.
• 10 bake crust in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
• 11 set aside and let cool.
• 12 leave oven on at 350ºf/180º celsius
• 13 the filling:.
• 14 wrap the springform pan filled with baked crust tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil; set aside.
• 15 place chocolate chips in a small saucepan and melt on low heat on stove stop; let cool.
• 16 place cottage cheese into a blender or food processor.
• 17 puree until completely smooth.
• 18 spoon into large mixing bowl, and add fat-free and reduced fat cream cheeses.
• 19 beat mixture on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• 20 add the cooled melted chocolate, splenda, brown sugar, cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, and extracts.
• 21 beat on low speed until smooth.
• 22 add whole egg and then egg whites, beating briefly after each addition to incorporate.
• 23 stir in the sour cream with a large spoon.
• 24 pour mixture into prepared sprinform pan and smooth top of cheesecake.
• 25 place the foil wrapped pan in a large deep baking pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the springform pan (this is called a "water bath" or "bain marie").
• 26 bake cheesecake for 55-60 minutes or until sides of cheesecake appear firm and center jiggles slightly.
• 27 turn off the oven, open the oven door, and let cheesecake cool in the oven for 30 minutes.
• 28 remove cheesecake from "water bath" and finish cooling at room temperature.
• 29 once cooled, refrigerate cheesecake for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.
• 30 when ready to serve, remove sides of springform pan and decorate top of cheesecake with chocolate curls or semisweet or chocolate chips (optional), and cut cheesecake into 12 slices.
• 31 you may serve cheesecake with fat-free whipped cream or fat-free or sugar free or lite non-dairy whipped topping, if desired.