-CRUST-
3/4 c Chocolate Wafer Cookie
-Crumbs; (About 15 Wafers)
1 tb Margarine Or Butter; Melted
FILLING
2 pk Light Cream Cheese (8 Oz
-Each); Softened
1 Container Nonfat Cottage
-Cheese (12 Oz); At Room
-Temperature
1/2 c Sugar
2 ts Vanilla Extract
1 pk White Chocolate Baking Bar
-(6 Oz); Melted And Cooled
4 Egg White
1/4 ts Peppermint Extract
2 dr Green Food Color; (Up To 4)
Chocolate Shamrocks;
-Optional
Lightly coat 9-inch springform pan with no-stick cooking spray. In small
bowl, combine crust ingredients; mix well. Press evenly into bottom of
prepared pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for 8 minutes; cool.
In work bowl of food processor fitted with steel knife, puree light cream
cheese and cottage cheese. Add sugar and vanilla; process to blend. Add
melted white chocolate; process just to blend. In small bowl, beat egg
whites until stiff peaks form. Add small amount of egg whites to batter;
process just until blended. Reserve 1 c cheesecake batter; pour remaining
batter over crust. Add peppermint extract and food color to reserved 1 c
batter; blend well. Drop tablespoonfuls of peppermint batter onto batter in
pan, forming 5 to 6 dollops. Using a table knife, swirl peppermint batter
through light batter to marble. Bake in a 325 degree oven to 40 to 50
minutes until edges are set and center is almost set. Turn oven off; let
cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes with door open. Remove from oven; run
sharp knife around sides of pan. Cool to room temperature on wire rack.
Cover; refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. To serve, remove sides
of pan. Garnish with Chocolate Shamrocks, if desired. Store remaining
cheesecake in refrigerator.
NOTES : Chocolate Shamrocks: Place 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate in
freezer-weight reclosable plastic bag. Immerse in very hot water to melt
chocolate; cool slightly. Make small snip on one corner of bag. Cover
baking sheet with waxed paper. Cut shamrock pattern out of paper and place
under waxed paper. Pipe chocolate in shamrock outline, moving pattern
under waxed paper to make each design. Repeat with 1 ounce white chocolate
baking bar. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. With spatula, transfer
shamrocks to cheesecake. TIP: To make in blender, puree cottage cheese in
batches with the sugar. Beat light cream cheese in large bowl until smooth
and creamy. Beat in pureed cottage cheese. Continue adding ingredients as
directed. TIP: For ease in cutting, dip knife in hot water before slicing.
TIP: For a flavor variation, substitute lemon extract for peppermint
extract. Use several drops of yellow food color instead of green.
Yields
12 Servings