Whether placed on a platter or served from the pan, these creamy sweet squares are perfect for entertaining. An easy and impressive way to serve them is to place the squares in cupcake liners before placing on trays or buffets.
For a pop Christmas color, garnish the tops with fresh raspberries, strawberries, or lite cherry pie filling and a sprig of fresh mint.
Makes 24 squares
Crust
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons no-calorie granulated sweetener (or 3 packets)*
Filling
2 8-ounce packages light cream cheese, room temperature
1 8-ounce package fat-free cream cheese, room temperature (or 3 8-ounce packages light cream cheese)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup no-calorie granulated sweetener*
Topping
2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup no-calorie granulated sweetener*
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, margarine, cinnamon, and sweetener; stir.
2. Pour crumb mixture into 9 x 13-inch pan. With your fingers, the back of a spoon, or a sheet of plastic wrap, press down on the crumbs until they coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheeses, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and sweetener. Pour into refrigerated crust and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is just starting to set. Remove cheesecake from the oven, cool 10 minutes and increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
4. While the cheesecake sits, in a medium bowl combine the sour cream, sweetener, and vanilla. Spread on the slightly cooled cheesecake and bake an additional 5 minutes to set the sour cream topping. Cool and then chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Cut cheesecake into 24 squares (6 cuts on the long side of the pan and 4 on the shorter).
*When using Truvia for Baking or another twice as sweet as sugar blend, use half as much, or 1/2 cup.
Serves Twenty-Four
Per Serving
Calories 120 | Fat 7 grams (4 saturated) | Carbohydrate 7 grams (sugar 2 grams) Fiber 0 grams | Protein 5 grams | Sodium 160 milligrams | Food exchange: 1 Lean Meat, 1 Fat, 1/2 Carbohydrate WW Smart Point comparison: Green 4 Blue 4 Purple 4
