Lighter Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 4 ounces chocolate, melted
• 1 cup fresh raspberry, berries cut in half lengthwise

Recipe

• 1 bring all ingredients to room temperature. preheat oven to 325 degrees f. coat a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray.
• 2 in a food processor, make crumbs out of wafer cookies. add sugar and pulse to combine. stream in melted butter and pulse until crumbs are moist. pour crumb mixture into the bottom of the spring form pan and press firmly into an even layer going all the way to the edges. bake 10 minutes. set aside to cool.
• 3 to make the filling, add the ricotta cheese to the food processor and blend until very smooth. add ricotta and cream cheese to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until fluffy. and sugar and beat for five minutes. add eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating to combine after each addition, then add vanilla.
• 4 add flour and salt and mix on low speed until combined. stir in lemon zest, if using. with the mixer on low speed, drizzle in melted chocolate to combine.
• 5 pour half of the filling over the cooled crust. scatter fresh, halved raspberries evenly over the surface, and then top with remaining filling.
• 6 bake for at least 1 hour, until top looks set and cheesecake barely jiggles when shaken. turn off the oven, crack the door and let cool gradually to prevent cracking.
• 7 decorate with fresh whipped cream and raspberry sauce.