Title: No-Bake Pineapple Cheesecake
Categories: Dessert Lowfat
Yield: 1 Cheesecake
| FOR CRUST |
| 12 | | Graham cracker squares (2 1/2"; 16 for 10" plate) |
| 1/3 | c | Grape Nuts cereal (1/2 cup for 10" plate) |
| 2 | tb | Granulated sugar |
| 1 | tb | Hazelnut, walnut or canola oil |
| 1 | ts | Unsalted butter, melted |
| | | (2 t for 10" place) |
| 1/2 | lg | Egg white (1 tb for 10" plate) |
| 2 | tb | Fruit juice or water, or as needed (1 tb for 10" plate) |
| FOR FILLING |
| 1 1/4 | c | Non-fat vanilla yogurt |
| 1 | cn | Crushed pineapple, unsweetened or in light syrup (20 oz) |
| 3/4 | c | Non-fat cottage cheese |
| 3/4 | c | Low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature |
| 3/4 | c | Granulated sugar |
| 1 | ts | Vanilla extract |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Pineapple extract |
| 3 | tb | Lemon juice |
| 3 1/2 | ts | Unflavored gelatin |
To make crust: Position rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350'F.
Crumble the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and process
until crumbs form. Add the cereal, sugar, oil, butter, egg white and 1
teaspoon juice or water. Pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Pinch
a spoonful of crumbs together, and test whether they are moist enough to
hold the print of your finger. If necessary, add a few more drops of juice
or water and pulse once or twice. Turn the crumbs into an 8" springform pan
or a 10" pie plate and use your hand or the back of a metal spoon to press
an even layer around the sides of the pan. Spread the remaining crumbs
evenly over the pan bottom. Top with a piece of wax paper, and press to
form an even layer, taking care not to build up the crumbs in the corner.
Bake the shell for 7 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before
filling. The crust firms and crisps as it cools. To make filling: Place the
yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and set aside to drain for
at least 20 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, and discard the whey. Drain
the crushed pineapple in a strainer set over a bowl. Press the fruit
lightly with the back of a large spoon to release all the juice. Transfer
the pineapple to a small bowl, and reserve 1/2 cup of the juice. Place the
cottage cheese in a strainer set over a bowl. cover it with a piece of
plastic wrap, and press down firmly on the cheese to force excess liquid
from the curds. Place the cottage cheese and cream cheese in a blender or a
food processor. Process for at least 3 minutes, or until absolutely smooth,
with no trace of graininess, stopping once to scrape down the sides with a
rubber spatula. Add the sugar, vanilla, pineapple extract and drained
yogurt. Pulse until well blended. Scrape down the sides with a rubber
spatula, and pulse several times. Add 1 1/2 cups of the drained crushed
pineapple and pulse just to blend. In a small saucepan, combine the
reserved 1/2 cup pineapple juice and the lemon juice. Sprinkle on the
gelatin and allow to sit about 3 minutes to soften. Then stir the mixture
over low heat just until the gelatin is dissolved; do not boil. With the
blender or food processor running, add the gelatin mixture and pulse to
blend. Pour the filling into the crust and refrigerate at least 3 hours or
overnight before serving. Once the top is firm, cover it with plastic wrap.