With the Jewish holiday of Shavuot taking place on Thursday, Ynet scoured the recipe books to find the best diet cheesecakes to eat to celebrate without thinking too much about the calories. Here are three options you can use to make the traditional holiday staple.
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Eggless cheese and halva tart
The delicate tart based on ricotta and yogurt, with a crust and crumble topping flavored with halva, creates a winning combination of flavors. Bake the crust and the crumble simultaneously.
Ingredients (for a 24-26 cm tart pan):
For the crust and crumble layer:
3/4 cup (150 grams) brown sugar
1/2 to 1 cup (150 grams) quick oats
3/4 cup (105 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
100 grams melted butter
3 tablespoons tahini
For the filling:
500 grams ricotta cheese
1 cup (160 ml) yogurt (sheep's yogurt is recommended)
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 packet (10 grams) vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Optional for decoration: Grated lemon zest
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease the tart pan. Line the English cake pan with parchment.
For the crust and crumble: In a bowl, combine the sugar, oats, flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well. Add the melted butter and tahini and mix until a dough is formed. Set aside 1/4 cup of the dough and sprinkle it into the English cake pan. Transfer the remaining dough to the tart pan and press it well onto the base and sides.
Place both pans in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust dries out but doesn't turn golden. Remove the tart pan from the oven and continue baking the crumble for an additional 2 minutes until golden. Remove and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees Celsius.
For the topping: In a bowl, combine all the filling ingredients listed and whisk until smooth. Pour the filling onto the crust and spread evenly.
Bake for about 50 minutes until the filling sets. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Keep the remaining dough crumbs at room temperature.
To serve: Remove the tart from the pan and place it on a serving plate. Sprinkle the crumbs on top and add the optional lemon zest.
Storage: Keep refrigerated for up to a week.
Baked cheesecake with dulce de leche
This is a classic baked cheesecake that is typically made with cream cheese, but I prefer to make it with cottage cheese because of its lightness, which resembles ricotta. To achieve a smooth crust, it should be finely ground using a food processor.
Ingredients (for a 26-28 cm springform pan):
For the crust:
250 grams biscuits
100 grams melted butter
1 tablespoon dulce de leche
For the filling:
5 cups (1/4-1 kilogram) 5% fat cottage cheese
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
5 eggs (size M or L)
2 packets (20 grams) vanilla sugar, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch
For the topping:
1/2 cup (120 ml) dulce de leche
1/4 cup (60 ml) boiling water
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Line the springform pan with parchment paper.
For the crust: Place the biscuits in a food processor and turn them into crumbs. Add the melted butter and dulce de leche, and process until you have a wet sand-like texture. Transfer the mixture to the pan, press it down firmly to form a base, and create sides about 1/2-1 cm high.
For the filling: Clean the food processor bowl, place all the filling ingredients in the bowl and blend until a smooth mixture is formed. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and level it.
Bake for about an hour, until the edges are golden and the center of the cake is still slightly jiggly. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
For the topping: Place the dulce de leche in a bowl, gradually add the boiling water, and whisk until you have a creamy consistency.
To serve: Remove the cake from the springform pan and place it on a serving plate. Pour the dulce de leche over the top and level it. Serve.
Storage: The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Cheese and coffee brownie squares
The combination of cheese, coffee, and chocolate balances sweetness and adds a tangy twist.
Ingredients (for a 30x20 cm pan):
For the brownie layer:
200 grams dark chocolate, preferably with 60% cocoa solids or higher
150 grams butter
1/3 to 1 cup (250 grams) sugar
4 eggs (size M or L), at room temperature
1/4 cup (35 grams) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 to 1 cup (175 grams) flour
For the cheese-coffee layer:
1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup (250 grams) 5% fat cottage cheese
3 tablespoons (40 grams) sugar
1 packet (10 grams) vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (30 grams) flour
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease the baking pan.
Brownie layer: Place the chocolate and butter in a suitable bowl and melt gradually, either in the microwave or in a double boiler until smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt, and mix. Add the flour and stir until a smooth batter forms. Pour the batter into the pan and level it.
Cheese and coffee layer: In a small bowl, mix the instant coffee powder and boiling water until the coffee dissolves.
In a separate bowl, combine the cottage cheese, sugar, and vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract), and mix. Add the flour and the dissolved coffee and mix until a smooth cream is created. Place dollops of the cream on top of the brownie layer in the pan. Use a knife to create a marbled pattern by gently swirling the cream.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are dry. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve.
Storage: Up to 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.