Feed your cheesecake hunger here

For those who feel it’s not Shavuot without cheesecake, here are two recipes that have come our way.

The first is from Jamie Geller from quick&osher.com and author of “Quick & Kosher: Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing” (Feldheim Publishers, 2007).

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate or plain graham cracker crust

1/2 cup pie filling (or 1/2 cup sour cream), optional

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, mix cream cheese and sugars together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing into batter. When fully blended, mix in vanilla.

Using a silicone spatula, fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until just slightly jiggly in the center. The cake will finish cooking from the retained heat after you take it out of the oven.

Chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

Before serving top with either a layer of sour cream or your favorite flavor pie filling, if desired.

Tips: If you want to transform this into a chocolate swirl cheese cake, squirt chocolate syrup on top and use a knife to create a zigzag swirl design before putting it in the oven. Not big on chocolate? Just omit the chips and it’s a classic cheesecake.

Here’s a sugar-free recipe from Stacey Harris, who was diagnosed with diabetes while training to be a pastry chef. Her book “The Diabetic Pastry Chef” (Pelican Publishing 2010) includes more than 200 diabetic-friendly recipes for sweets, along with tips, substitution methods, and recipe modifications. Every recipe also includes a carb count and nutritional facts, including calories. Harris’ baking techniques are featured in the American Diabetes Association’s magazine, Diabetics Forecast.

Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 cup crushed low fat graham crackers

3 tbsp. butter, melted

4 (8-oz.) pkg. light cream cheese

Dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 1/3 cups Splenda

1/2 cup amaretto

2 cups light sour cream

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preparation:

Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a buttered 10-inch springform pan. Set aside. Beat together cream cheese, salt, vanilla, eggs, Splenda, and amaretto. Fold in the sour cream. Pour into crust. Bake 45 minutes in a preheated 375-degree oven or until set. During the last 10 minutes of baking, add almonds evenly to top of cheesecake.

Cool. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 12-16 servings.