Recipe for a healthier chocolate-hazelnut cheesecake.

Recipe for a healthier chocolate-hazelnut cheesecake.

From Eat Well, Stay Well

Crunchy toasted hazelnuts top this velvety cheesecake. For more of that heavenly hazelnut flavor, substitute 1 tablespoon Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) for the vanilla.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes Chilling time: 2 hours

You Will Need

• 1/3 cup hazelnuts

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (5 ounces)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 pound silken tofu

• 1 cup creamed (4%) cottage cheese

• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1 egg

• 2 egg whites

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to Do

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 7 minutes or until the skins begins to crinkle. (Leave the oven on.) Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and rub to remove as much of the skin as possible (some skin will remain). When the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, coarsely chop them; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the crumbs, oil, and 1 tablespoon of water. Press the mixture into the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until the crust is set. Cool on a rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

3. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and 1/4 cup of water until well moistened. In a food processor, combine the tofu, cottage cheese, melted semisweet chocolate, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, whole egg, egg whites, vanilla and the cocoa mixture, and process until very smooth.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and bake for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F, sprinkle the nuts on top and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheesecake is just set. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled.

Serves: 12

Per serving: Calories 207; Fiber 1 g; Protein 8 g; Total Fat 7 g; Saturated Fat 1 g; Cholesterol 20 mg; Sodium 189 mg