No-Bake Pineapple Cheesecake

Title:
No-Bake Pineapple Cheesecake

Yield:
1 Cheesecake

Categories:
Desserts,
Cheesecake




Ingredients:




---------------------------------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 ove nto


 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.


 


 Nutritional analysis per serving: 245 calories, 8 grams protein, 6


 grams fat, 0.7 gram saturated fat, 42 grams carbohydrate, 270


 milligrams sodium, 10 milligrams cholesterol, calories from fat: 22


 percent.


 


 From Tuscon area newspapers, 1994, 3rd quarter, courtest Mike Orchekowski.


 File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/tn-94q3.zip