BAVARIAN APPLE CHEESECAKE

BAVARIAN APPLE CHEESECAKE
Crust:
1/3 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Carbalose flour *

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granular Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Topping:
2 cups granny smith apples, peeled and sliced, 8 ounces (don't slice too thin)
1/3 cup granular Splenda (do not use liquid Splenda)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds, 1 ounce

In a medium bowl, beat the first 3 crust ingredients on medium speed; stir in the flour until a soft dough forms. Pat onto the bottom and just slightly up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Place the apples in a single layer on a baking sheet. You may want to line it with a silicone liner because the apples will stick. Cover with foil and bake at 400?15 minutes. **

Meanwhile, in the same medium bowl that you used for the crust, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup Splenda and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Arrange the warm apples atop the filling.

In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup granular Splenda and cinnamon. Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the apples, then cover with the cinnamon-Splenda mixture. It will seem like an awful lot of cinnamon mixture, but you'll be glad that you put it all on there. Bake at 400?40 minutes until golden brown. Cool, then remove the sides of the pan. I didn't like the dry, powdery look of the granular Splenda on top so I sprayed it lightly with a water mister to melt the Splenda. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes about 8-12 servings
Can be frozen

* I haven't tried this myself yet, but I've heard that you can substitute Carbquik for the Carbalose flour. I haven't calculated the counts though, but they should be similar.

** I've discovered an easier method for cooking the apples. Place the apple slices in a single layer in a glass 9x13" baking dish. Microwave on HIGH about 4 minutes or until softened and somewhat limp.

With granular Splenda:
Per 1/8: 384 Calories; 33g Fat; 11g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 10g Net Carbs
Per 1/12: 256 Calories; 22g Fat; 7g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 7g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per 1/8: 374 Calories; 33g Fat; 11g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 8g Net Carbs
Per 1/12: 249 Calories; 22g Fat; 7g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

This is my low carb version of a wonderful cheesecake recipe from my cousin, Laurie. All I did was substitute Splenda for the sugar and use Carbalose flour instead of regular flour in the crust. I also reduced the amount of apples by 2 cups to save carbs. This has got to be about the best low carb dessert I've ever eaten. No one will know that this is low carb, especially if you top it with some whipped cream or Whipped Topping (not included in carb counts). There is just enough apple to give it the right flavor, but not enough to be outrageously high in carbs. They add just 2-3 net carbs per serving. The crust is nice and flaky and this dessert reminds me of a cross between apple strudel and apple Danish. The cheese filling isn't overly sweet, so you may want to add a touch more sweetener if you like your cheesecake sweeter. Between the Whipped Topping and the sweet cinnamony apples, I don't think it really needs to be sweeter.

Below you can see a slice of the cheesecake:

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