Cheesecake

MSCD 12-month recipe

Cheesecake. mmmm...

It took many recipe flops to come up with this mouth-watering, healthy delight! It's one of my Mom's favorites, which is why I made it for her surprise princess birthday party. But she's not really 60. (wink, wink)

This cheesecake is a mixture of cream cheese, honey and maple syrup, accompanied by a simple cinnamon and honey oat crust to upgrade from the traditional graham cracker crust laden with enriched flour, sugar and hydrogenated oil. The cake's topping is optional and flexible. My favorite is strawberries, but serving it plain or topping with cherries or any berry would be excellent.

Crust

1 cup whole oats

1 cup oat flour

¼ cup applesauce

3 Tbs. butter, finely diced

1 Tbs. honey

1 ½ Tbs. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of salt

extra virgin olive oil

Lightly chop oats in a blender. In a bowl, combine chopped oats with remaining ingredients, except olive oil, forming a ball by working the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with your hands until the entire ball of dough is moist. Drizzle the dough ball with olive oil to coat. Butter or oil a 10-inch springform cake pan. Press the crust dough to an even thickness along the bottom and sides of the dish. Make the side crusts tall enough to hold the filling and strawberry topping. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Filling

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

¾ cup honey

¼ cup maple syrup

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Place eggs, honey, syrup, lemon juice and vanilla in a bowl. Mix to combine. In a separate bowl, whip cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add egg mixture to cream cheese, a little at a time, whipping until creamy. Pour filling into crust. Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Topping

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen strawberries

½ cup honey

While the cake is baking, make the topping. Place strawberries and honey in a saucepan over medium low to medium heat. As the strawberries begin to melt, smash mixture with a potato masher until a chunky sauce is formed. Place topping in the refrigerator to thicken.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Remove cake from springform pan and place on a decorative serving dish. Top with strawberry topping. If you can resist, the cake is best after it is chilled in the refrigerator.