Low Fat Cherry Cheesecake

Cheesecake without the guilt, and without the cream cheese. The trick here is blending cottage cheese until it is completely smooth, which erases every curd and leaves a creamy base that tastes far richer than its short ingredient list suggests.

Egg yolks, lemon rind, vanilla, evaporated skim milk, and a little dry milk powder go into the blender too, then whipped egg whites get folded in by hand. Those airy whites do the lifting, giving the baked cake an almost souffle-like lightness with no extra fat.

The topping skips canned pie filling entirely. Sweet bing cherries simmer down in cherry beverage until tender and syrupy, take a hit of cherry extract, then spread over the cake for a last few minutes in the oven.

Chef Tips

• Blend the cottage cheese a full minute until silky. Any remaining curds show up as a grainy texture in the baked cake.
• Beat the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks and fold gently, so you keep the air that lightens the cake.
• Cook the cherry topping until most of the liquid evaporates, or it runs off the cake.
• Let the cheesecake cool fully before slicing, since it firms up as it sets.

Variations

• Swap the bing cherries for blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries.
• Add a graham crust if you want more structure and a richer slice.
• Stir a little lemon juice into the topping to balance the sweetness.