Celebrate MyPlate's Birthday with Cheesecake

MyPlate is celebrating its first birthday on June 2, 2012. Join the celebration with this fantastic fruit cheesecake that features MyPlate's great design.Crust:10 whole grain Fig Newtons (you can also use regular Fig Newtons, in a pinch)Cheesecake:8 ounces reduced-fat neufchatel cheese8 ounces fat-free cream cheese2 ripe Haas avocados1 cup sugar1 tablespoon cornstarch1 tablespoon key lime extract (or juice and zest of 2 limes)juice of 2 lemons3/4 cup egg whitesGarnish:2 kiwi, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries, 2 ripe apricots1/2 cup apricot marmaladeDirections:1. Lightly spray a 9-inch deep dish glass tart dish with vegetable oil spray. Grind the cookies in a food processor and press them firmly into the tart pan.2. Place the cheese and avocados in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the sugar, corn starch, lime extract, and lemon juice in the food processor and puree. Add the egg whites and puree again.3. Pour the cheesecake filling into the tart dish on top of the cookie crust. Bake at 325 degrees F until the cake is firm in the center, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and chill overnight in the refrigerator.4. To remove from pan, heat the bottom of the dish gently in a bowl of warm water. Sprinkle sugar over the top and invert onto a dish. Invert again onto another dish.5. Decorate with fruit. Top the fruit with heated marmalade. Chill until ready to serve. Cut into 12 pieces. Serves 12. Each slice: 276 calories, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 279 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g fiber, 7.5 g protein. Compare to regular cheesecake which has 640 calories and 41 g of fat! Or compare to regular frosted birthday cake that has 600 calories and 28 g fat. More cake ideas here.For a low-cal, low-sugar treat, use 0% Greek yogurt (4.5 cups) instead of the cheesecake and top with fruit as directed. With the cookie crust, yogurt, fruit and marmalade, this dessert variation will yield 12 servings (scoop it out with fruit on top): 140 calories, 0 fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 88 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein.Cook's notes: we do prefer using a deep dish glass pan because the cheesecake cooks more evenly than if you use a spring form pan - however you can lower the temperature a little bit and use your favorite springform pan. :-)Download Recipe in PDF: MyPlateCheeseCakeVisit the Nutrition Education Store for More MyPlate Materials with Free Shipping this week!Stay tuned for a week of MyPlate lessons and we have BBQ MyPlate recipes and veggie ideas, along with small treats and great grains.