Cheesecake

I just received the June nutrition e-newsletter from Tnuva, the largest dairy manufacturer in Israel. Their survey of women over the age of 18 reveals that:

94% of Israeli families plan to eat cheesecake on Shavuot

Of these:

67% of the women will make their own cheesecake from scratch

7% will prepare their cheesecake from a mix

20% plan to purchase a ready-made cheesecake

I’m always happy to hear that people are cooking and baking from scratch. Most of us eat way too much highly sweetened, salty and fat-ladened processed food. And how many of us have forgotten the creative and satisfying pleasures of cooking?

So even though it’s the middle of a hot Israeli summer, a majority of us are getting ready to make cheesecake.

The Tnuva survey continues with more positive news about Shavuot baking:

73% of the respondents will use dairy products containing 5% fat or less

21% will use dairy products containing 9% fat or more

One of my favorite low-fat dairy products is ricotta cheese. Its delicate taste and smooth texture work well in sweet as well as savory cooking. Try ricotta in blintzes, quiche, lasagna and cheesecake.

Here is one of my favorite ricotta cheese desserts. It’s light, delicate and less sweet than most cheesecakes.

ITALIAN-STYLE RICOTTA CHEESECAKE (DAIRY)

Crust

½ cup walnuts
¼ cup low-sugar cereal, such as bran flakes, Grape-Nuts or Cheerios
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons canola oil

Filling

½ cup golden raisins or diced dried apricots
¼ cup orange juice

1 ¾ cup (16 ounces) low-fat ricotta cheese
6 Tablespoons (3 ounces) low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat an 8” spring-form pan lightly with oil or cooking spray.

Combine walnuts, cereal and cinnamon in a food processor and process until finely ground. While the processor is running, slowly add the oil through the feed-tube until the crumb mixture holds together. Pat the mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking pan and set aside.

In a small, heat-proof bowl, combine the raisins and orange juice. Warm in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, mix together and set aside to plump the raisins. (You can do this in a small saucepan as well.)

Rinse the bowl and blade of the food processor. Process the ricotta cheese, cream cheese and yogurt together until very smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture is completely smooth.

Drain the raisins and stir them into the cheese mixture. Pour the batter over the crust in the baking pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the edges are puffy but the middle is slightly soft. Turn off the heat and leave the cake in the oven, with the door closed, for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack.

Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Serves 8-10