Desserts

Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake

Makes one 7-inch cheesecake

Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake

Makes one 7-inch cheesecake

Nutritional information per serving (based on 8 slices):Calories 366 (57% from fat)
carb. 27g
pro. 12g
fat 24g
sat. fat 11g
chol. 89mg
sod. 411mg
calc. 210mg
fiber 4g

Ingredients

½ teaspoon + 2 tablespoons butter, divided¼ cup lightly toasted, finely chopped hazelnuts²∕³ cup chocolate cookie crumbs1 cup lowfat ricotta12 ounces lowfat cream cheese½ cup granulated sugar¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder2 large eggs3 tablespoons half-and-half¼ cup Frangelico2 tablespoons cornstarch1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract½ cup mini chocolate morsels

Preparation

1. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 7-inch springform pan with ½ teaspoon butter.2. Combine remaining butter, chopped nuts and cookie crumbs. Press crust mixture into bottom of springform pan.3. Place ricotta, cream cheese, sugar and cocoa in work bowl of a food processor and process 30 seconds; scrape sides and bottom of work bowl. Process another 30 sec- onds; scrape work bowl. Add eggs and process 20 seconds; scrape work bowl. Add half-and-half, Frangelico, cornstarch and vanilla; process 20 seconds (or mix using a hand-held electric mixer).4. Pour into pan, sprinkle with chocolate morsels and swirl into batter. Place the rack in the ceramic pot of the Cuisinart® Slow Cooker. Place the springform pan on the rack. Cover and press the on/off button to turn the unit on. Set time to 2 hours and press High; slow cooker will automatically switch to Warm when cooking time has elapsed. Set timer to 30 minutes. Turn slow cooker off and let cheesecake rest in slow cooker for 30 minutes. Once the cheesecake has rested for 30 minutes remove it from the slow cooker using hot pads, and place on a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours before serving.