Swirled Berry Cheesecake Recipe

Swirled Berry Cheesecake

Serves 12

This recipe can be easily adapted to suit vegan diets by substituting margarine for butter in the crust, vegan “cream cheese” for cream cheese, and 1/2 cup silken tofu (purée it with original tofu before adding the other ingredients) for the eggs.

Crust

3 cups (6 oz.) vanilla snaps or vanilla wafers
2 ½ Tbs. butter or vegan margarine, melted

Filling

1 12.3-oz. pkg. firm silken tofu, drained
1 8-oz. pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
¾ cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. lemon juice, divided
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
½ cup strawberry fruit spread

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan with double thickness of foil. Place kitchen towel in roasting pan.
2. To make Crust: Place cookies in food processor, and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, or until firm. Cool.
3. To make Filling: Purée tofu in food processor 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add cream cheese, sugar, 1 Tbs. lemon juice, cornstarch, lemon zest, and vanilla, and process until blended. Add eggs, and pulse until mixed in. Pour into crust.
4. Warm fruit spread with remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Strain into bowl to remove seeds, then transfer to resealable plastic bag. Cut small hole in one corner of bag. Pipe fruit spread over batter in lines. Draw tip of knife crosswise through fruit spread to create design.
5. Place cheesecake in towel-lined roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cheesecake is set around edges but center still jiggles. Turn off oven and prop oven door open with wooden spoon. Cool cheesecake in oven 45 minutes. Remove foil. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.