Christmas has come and gone, but sadly the 10 pounds I’ve gained over the last few months have not. All that holiday baking (and eating) has caught up with me, and I’m totally feeling it. Ugh.
One of my goals for the new year is to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, which is about 30 pounds lighter than I am right now. Kayleigh is nearly 8 months old now, and I’ve been putting this off for way too long.
One of my major roadblocks with losing weight is that I love to bake. I love it. And, to add to that problem, John just bought me a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for Christmas! That means I’ll be baking up lots and lots of goodies now.
To cut down on some of the fat and calories, I am going to try switching to Monk Fruit In The Raw, instead of using sugar. Monk Fruit In The Raw is a wholesome, zero-calorie sweetener, made from delicious vine-ripened monk fruit, native to South East Asia, and it has the clean, sweet taste of sugar.
Monk Fruit In The Raw packets and Bakers Bags make for easy beverages or baking as they measures cup for cup like sugar and were created specifically for baking. That s0unds easy enough for me!
One of my very favorite desserts is cheesecake. I just can’t get enough of it. John and I eat cheesecake quite often, but it is extremely fattening. I think for New Years Eve this year, I am going to try making this New York Cheesecake from Monk Fruit In The Raw. It looks delicious!
Here’s the recipe:
New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 teaspoons Monk Fruit In The Raw® Bakers Bag
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter chilled
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup Monk Fruit In The Raw Bakers Bag
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Wrap the outside of an 8-inch springform pan with foil to make it waterproof.
- For the crust, combine the crumbs, Monk Fruit In The Raw® Bakers Bag, and butter in a small bowl, working them with your fingertips until the mixture resembles moist sand. Spread the crumb mixture over bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.
- In a deep mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on medium-low to beat the cream cheese until fluffy, 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar and Monk Fruit In The Raw® Bakers Bag. One at a time, add the eggs, mixing well after each one. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla. Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Rap the pan sharply on the counter several times to knock out air bubbles.
- Set a deep baking pan large enough to hold the cheesecake pan onto the oven rack. Place the cheesecake pan in the center of the baking pan. Carefully fill the baking pan with boiling water to 1/2-inch below rim of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit for 50 minutes without opening oven door. Cool the cheesecake completely on a wire rack. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate the cheesecake for 24 hours before serving.
- To serve, using a knife dipped in hot water, cut the cake into 12 wedges. Wipe the knife blade after each cut.
Notes
Per slice (12 slices): 224 calories, 18 g fat 11 g saturated fat, 9 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 109 mg cholesterol, 166 mg sodium
