Black Forest Cherry Cheesecake

Dark, sweet cherries offset the filling and crust for a dramatic look and the best taste.

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

• Cherry topping:
• 2  cups  pitted dark sweet cherries
• 1/4  cup  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• 2  teaspoons  cornstarch
• 
  Crust:
• 1 1/3  cups  chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 9 1/2 cookie sheets)
• 1/4  cup  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  butter or stick margarine, melted
• 1  large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 
  Filling:
• 1  cup  fat-free sour cream
• 1/2  cup  fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1  (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4  cups  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs
• 1/2  cup  semisweet chocolate minichips
• 36  dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved

Preparation

To prepare the cherry topping, place 2 cups cherries in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Combine the pureed cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour cherry topping into a bowl; cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the crust, combine crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg white in a bowl; toss with a fork until well-blended. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

To prepare the filling, combine sour cream, milk, and cheeses in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and eggs; beat well. Stir in minichips. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 50 minutes or until almost set (center will not be firm, but will set up as it chills). Turn oven off; cool cheesecake in closed oven 40 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Spread cherry topping over cheesecake. Top with cherry halves. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

292 (25% from fat)

Fat:

8.1g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

7.6g

Carbohydrate:

47.5g

Fiber:

1.1g

Cholesterol:

43mg

Iron:

0.8mg

Sodium:

233mg

Calcium:

106mg