CARAMEL CHEESECAKE



 CARAMEL CHEESECAKE
The filling for this cheesecake is topnotch and the topping is absolutely delicious!  I served this yesterday to my husband (who just returned from a business trip to the States) and my sons who fetched him at the airport and brought him back up the mountain.  Just before the boys left, I gave them each some cheesecake and they raved about it.  Jonathan thought it was my best cheesecake yet!  Pretty high praise as I think I've made almost fifty million cheesecakes so far in my lifetime.  LOL  Love 'em and they are the perfect low-carb dessert, I think.  However, calories are high with cheesecakes, so do keep that in mind. To reduce calories, you can substitute Philadelphia light cream cheese (not cream cheese spread though) but not the nonfat variety.

Almond Crust:
2/3  cup ground almonds (150 mL)
2 tbsp powedered erythritol (30 mL)
2 tbsp vanilla whey protein (30 mL)
3 tbsp butter, melted (45 mL)
1 egg yolk
Filling:
3, 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened (750 g)
3 eggs, room temperature (if possible)                
Liquid sweetener (sucralose or stevia) to equal 1 cup sugar (250 mL)
1/cup powdered erythritol (125 mL)
1/cup sour cream (60 mL)
1/cup whipping cream (60 mL)
Caramel Topping (see recipe below)

Almond Crust:  Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).  In medium bowl, combine ground almonds, erythritol and vanilla whey protein.  Stir in butter and egg yolk.  Prepare 8-inch (20 cm) nonstick springform pan for water bath.  Wrap foil up the sides of the springform pan (you’ll need two big sheets).  Sprinkle crust mixture in pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and press crust out evenly; remove plastic wrap.  Bake 10 minutes or until turning brown at edges.

Filling:  In food processor with sharp blade, blender or in bowl with electric mixer, process cream cheese until smooth.  Add eggs; process.  Add liquid sweetener, powdered erythritol, sour cream and whipping cream.  Process until smooth.  Pour cheesecake batter over baked crust. Place springform pan in larger pan and pour boiling water in it and about an inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan.  Be careful when transferring to oven.   Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven 40 minutes.  Switch oven off, open oven door slightly and allow cheesecake to continue to cook 30 minutes more. Set pan on wire rack. When cooled completely to room temperature, pour Caramel Topping over top   Cover and refrigerate.  Run sharp knife around edge of pan, loosen the spring siding and serve.

Caramel Topping:  Prepare as directed below.

Helpful Hints:  If you prefer a more substantial crust, then double the ingredients.  Caramel Topping can also be prepared just before serving and poured over cold cheesecake.  Refrigerate 10 minutes or longer and serve.

Yield:  12/16 servings
1 serving
383.3/286.7 calories
12.8/9.6 g protein
34.8/26.1 g fat
4.6/3.4 g carbs

CARAMEL TOPPING
This topping is for the Caramel Cheesecake above.
Caramel Sauce:
1/cup granulated erythritol (125 mL)
1 tsp molasses (5 mL)
1/cup whipping cream (125 mL)
2 tbsp butter (30 mL)
Caramel Topping:
1/cup vanilla whey protein (125 mL)
2 tbsp butter (30 mL)
2 tbsp whole milk, OR skim milk powder (30 mL)
1/tsp vanilla extract (2 mL)

Caramel Sauce:  In nonstick saucepan, combine erythritol and molasses over medium heat until erythritol dissolves and bubbles.  Remove from heat and stir in cream and butter.  Stir until smooth.  Return to heat and boil until caramel is bubbling up and golden brown.  Let cool 2 minutes.

Caramel Topping:  In blender, combine Caramel Sauce, vanilla whey protein, butter, whole milk, OR skim milk powder and vanilla extract.  Blend until smooth.

Helpful Hint:  This Caramel Topping should be plenty thick enough but, if not, you can add 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) xanthan gum to blender and blend.

Yield:  12/16 servings
1 serving
91.7/68.8 calories
3.6/2.7 g protein
7.9/5.9 g fat
1.9/1.4 g carbs


For other great Low-Carb, Gluten-Free recipes by the team & me:

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