Hazelnut Cheesecake

Hazelnut Cheesecake

Frangelico gives the cheesecake a delicate hazelnut taste, while chopped hazelnuts in the crust add crunch and more nutty flavor. You can use Amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur) and almonds instead.

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup reduced-fat vanilla wafer crumbs (about 30 cookies)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Cooking spray

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/4 cup Frangelico (hazelnut-flavored liqueur)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter; toss with a fork until moist. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

To prepare filling, place cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add sour cream; beat until combined. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, flour, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Beating at low speed, gradually add sugar mixture to cheese mixture. Add egg whites and egg, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur and vanilla. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Yield

16 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 238(33% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 7.4g; CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 69mg; SODIUM 184mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.3g

Ann Pittman , Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2006