Raise a Fork

After many an hour researching, reconfiguring, and reuniting my taste buds with the cake that is made of cheese - I've done it! I present to the blogger universe my new and improved cheesecake, otherwise known as the "Let Them Eat MORE Cheesecake, Cheesecake!!!! It's lighter, creamier, and with less calories than the original, so maybe even the woman at the hair salon, (who went into great detail about her daily food and exercises regime to achieve a perfect 12% body fat figure), could taste some and not feel guilty. I'm not quite sure why she's knocking herself out to have this body when her health and appearance would probably be just fine if she doesn't, but I'll be sure to have a bite in her honor if she can't. With any luck, at only about 150 calories a piece, even more dessert foodies can savor a few more extra nibbles.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)
- 3/4 cup finely ground almonds
- 3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal
- 2 tablespoons light butter, melted
- 2 (8 ounce) packages of fat free cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar substitute (I recommend Stevia. You may also want to go up to 1 cup of this for a sweeter taste.)
- 1 cup fat free sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Irish cream liquor (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar free strawberry sauce
- 1 container sugar free whipped topping
- 1 container of fresh strawberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray the bottom of 8 inch springfoam pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix almonds, almond flour, and melted butter in a small bowl with a fork and press into pan. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, eggs, and sugar (one at a time) until creamy. Add in sour cream, vanilla extract, Irish cream liquor, and cinnamon until well blended. Pour filling over crust and smooth with a spatula.
4. Place cake pan in a large roasting pan with 1 inch of boiling water and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and the center is almost set. Let chill in refrigerator for 4 hours.
5. Slice into wedges and top with strawberry sauce, whipped topping, and strawberries. Great with sliced apples and sugar free caramel sauce or berries too. Yum!