A-Z Index

Blueberry Cheesecake

Compared with most cheesecakes, this version of blueberry cheesecake isn’t particularly high in fat, as it uses low-fat cottage cheese instead of the traditional cream cheese, and is lightened by folding in whisked egg whites before baking.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8 in.) springform cake pan with parchment paper.
Place the cookies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Tip into a bowl, add the oats and margarine, and mix.
Spread this mixture evenly over the bottom and just up the sides of the prepared pan, pressing down firmly, and set aside.
Place the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, cornstarch and lemon rind. Blend briefly until evenly mixed. Tip the mixture into a bowl.
Beat the 2 egg whites with an electric mixer in another bowl to form soft peaks. Slowly add the icing sugar and beat until thick and glossy. Gently fold half the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Fold in the blueberries, then the remaining whites.
Pour the mixture over the base and bake for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and reduce the heat to 325ºF (160ºC). Bake for a further hour or until the cheesecake feels just set in the centre. Turn off the oven and leave the blueberry cheesecake inside to cool for 30 minutes, with the door slightly ajar.
Transfer the blueberry cheesecake to a wire rack to cool completely, then chill until ready to serve. Remove it from the pan, peel off the lining paper and place it on a serving plate. Decorate with blueberries and a few mint leaves, and dust with icing sugar.

preparation time 25 mins
cooking time 1 1⁄2 hours
serves 8

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada

Ingredients 120 g wheat bran cookies
2 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons reduced-salt margarine, melted
1 2⁄3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
5 tablespoons reduced-fat ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
finely grated rind of 1 large lemon
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
140 g blueberries
60 g blueberries, to decorate
fresh mint leaves, to decorate
1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted, to decorate

Nutritional Information

PER SERVING

294 calories
14 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
94 mg cholesterol
33 g total carbohydrate
23 g sugars
2 g fibre
199 mg sodium

Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C and, like cranberries, they contain compounds that have been shown to inhibit the bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections. Studies have suggested that these compounds may also help to protect against cataracts and glaucoma.

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