Thursday, August 11, 2011

Turtle Cheesecake

Thursday, August 11, 2011
Today is our 10th anniversary!


The special ingredient in this recipe is SWERVE. You can find it if you click HERE. I use it for making caramel (erythritol doesn't melt so it won't work) and I use it for ice cream because unlike plain erythritol, it keeps ice cream nice and soft.

Swerve looks and tastes like sugar and has a very low glycemic index of approximately zero. It is composed of prebiotic fibers that have been shown to help with candida-cleansing and weight loss.


This recipe is just one of the great dessert recipes in my new color cookbook "The Art of Eating Healthy: Sweets" available here.


CRUST:
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1 tsp stevia glycerite)
1 tsp Celtic sea salt

UPDATE: This is a very thick crust. I suggest to cut the recipe for the crust in 1/2 and add 1 egg to the dough. This creates a better crust that isn't so thick).

FILLING:
5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners Swerve (or powdered erythritol*)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
3 eggs
1 TBS vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, mix ingredients. This will be a thick pie dough, press onto bottom of springform pan. Place in oven to pre-bake the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sweeteners until smooth. Blend in almond milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in vanilla until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving. Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce and chocolate sauce.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
2 TBS grass fed butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream
1/4 cup cups confectioners Swerve (or powdered erythritol*)
1 tsp stevia glycerite

Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Smooth all over the top of the cooled cheesecake and set back in fridge to set.

CARAMEL SAUCE:
1 cup Just Like Sugar (or xylitol)
6 TBS grass fed butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. (If you are using Xylitol click HERE for directions). If you don't work fast, the sweetener will burn. Heat butter on high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As soon as it comes to a boil, watch for specks of brown (this is brown butter....SO GOOD on veggies!). Immediately add the sweetener and the cream to the pan. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use to drizzle all over the cheesecake just before serving. You can also top with pecan pieces. Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Turtle Cheesecake = 760 calories, 53 carbs, 0.5 g fiber (52.5 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Turtle Cheesecake = 584 calories, 7 carbs, 2.4 g fiber (4.6 effective carbs)

Here is a video showing how to make the caramel sauce! 




*Powdered erythritol will create a smoother texture. All you have to do is grind a bunch in a coffee grinder and keep it handy for recipes.

22 comments:

  1. Best thing I have ever eaten. Love you! Craig

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  2. Hi Maria. I am just beginning my journey to a healthy lifestyle. I do not know which way to go. We have been buying organic and trying to cut out processed foods. We have also upped our intake of fruits and vegetables. I am in need of some guidance. I have a 2.5 year old daughter and a 4 month old daughter, whom I am nursing. I will be 29 tomorrow and my husband is turning 40. We want so much more for ourselves and our children. Can you help us, please? Thank you for your time and commitment to health.

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  3. I would love to help you and your family!

    Please email me at Mariamindbodyhealth@gmail.com
    And we can get started!

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  4. Hi Maria, August 11th is also my anniversary. 43 years. I love your recipes. Been doing LC since Feb. and I've lost 23 lbs. Not a diet for me anymore but a lifestyle change. Thanks for all the great recipes.

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  5. Thank you for your support!

    I hope you had a great anniversary!!!

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  6. You said Swerve is the choice because "unlike erythritol, it keeps ice cream nice and soft". So I bought Swerve for ice cream, but the ingredients are "erythritol, oligosaccharides and natural flavors". The ice cream got rock hard. The picture above showed "Just Like Sugar". Is that what is preferred for ice cream instead? I'm confused.

    Also, you said erythritol doesn't melt, so not recommended for caramel. Yet that is what is listed for the caramel sauce. Help, I don't know what to use.

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    Replies
    1. I corrected the caramel above. That shouldn't have been changed to Swerve. Sorry about that. As for ice cream, I have had pretty good results with swerve and adding some salt. Swerve is part Erythritol but also chicory root extract (like Just Like Sugar) which I think is why it helps. If the salt doesn't help yours, you could try a little vegetable glycerin as some people have commented that it helps keep it softer. Good luck! :)

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  7. Maria, please, how can we print this wonderful recipe? I am having a big problem with printing. Why is it that on some recipes there is a button PRINT or SAFE with ZipList and some recipes - do not have this buttons? Is this a copy rights issue? I am not sure...

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    Replies
    1. Hmm, not sure. You can try the browser print. Otherwise it is in the cookbook listed above. :)

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  8. Have you had issues with the crust when using coconut oil? The coconut oil seemed to melt and leak through the springfoam pan. I had a bit of a fire in the oven. Oops! Should we stick to butter instead?

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    Replies
    1. I always made it with butter. I updated the recipe to remove the coconut oil option for the crust. Sorry about that! :)

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    2. No worries! I actually loved the coconut oil in the recipe. The cheesecake turned out great, despite the oven fire. tee-hee!

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  9. I see so many recipes with Swerve in - is it possible to get in the UK or by mail order? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Sorry, they don't ship to the UK yet. The best option is to use the Erythritol I usually have listed as an option. :)

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  10. I actually have that book, and the amounts you have listed are double that in the cookbook. Also, is Swerve now your preferred E- substitute? In the recipe in the book, you mention Just Like Sugar, but it doesn't show up on the recipe posted above. I realize that as you experiment more in the kitchen you will find better sources of alternative sweeteners that you prefer, but is there a list of recipes you've updated or changed in this book that I can refer to?

    Thank you.

    Emma

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    Replies
    1. I use Swerve now as I find it gives better results in baking and is almost half the price of Just Like Sugar. :)

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  11. maria, if i am using 1/4 cup of just like sugar Baking, would that be 48grams? Also, would that then be 48 grams of fiber?
    since 1 gram of fiber is in 1 gram of just like sugar Baking sugar? thanks!

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    Replies
    1. The best I can tell is that the 100g serving size equates to about 1/2 cup. Since there would be 4.54 serving per bag. So your calculations sound about right. :)

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  12. Maria, The caramel recipe wasn't corrected to eliminate swerve. I am sitting here stirring and stirring wondering why it isn't thickening up like the video. Then I read the comments that says Swerve doesn't melt. Ugh, such an expensive mistake!

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    Replies
    1. Sorry about that. The taste is still good. I make mine with Swerve because it is cheaper. It just crystallizes a bit but still tastes good. :)

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  13. I made this today for our daughter's b-day dessert. It is VERY scrumptious dessert. I served the chocolate and caramel on the side so that I could also serve it with strawberries and whip cream . (Strawberries and whip cream is my favorite) The crust is very good. Thanks Maria for another yummy recipe.

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