REAL KEY LIME CHEESECAKE

LOWCARBREDHEAD'S REAL KEY LIME CHEESECAKE
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (you'll need 2 large limes)
1 packet unflavored gelatin
2 cups granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
2 eggs, beaten
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest (from about 1/2 lime)
1 cup heavy cream

Cookie Crust (optional):
1 batch Butter Cookies, crushed to make crumbs *
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping (optional and not included in the counts):
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sweetener to taste

Prepare the crust first, if using. Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter; pat firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Put in the freezer until the filling is ready to put into the crust.

Put the lime juice in a 1-quart saucepan; sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface of the juice. Let stand 5 minutes to soften. Whisk in the sweetener and eggs. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened or just until it starts to bubble. It won't get thick like pudding and you shouldn't boil the gelatin.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Pour in the hot juice mixture and beat until well blended and smooth. Beat in the lime zest. Chill 45 minutes or until cool and thick.

In a medium bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream until stiff. Fold into the cooled lime mixture. Spread in the prepared crust or in a greased 9-inch pie plate. Chill at least 2 hours. Garnish the top with the sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 8 servings

* One batch of Butter Cookies equals about 1 cup of crumbs.

With crust:
With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 444 Calories; 42g Fat; 8g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 11g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 418 Calories; 42g Fat; 8g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

Without crust:
With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 301 Calories; 28g Fat; 5g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 9g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 277 Calories; 28g Fat; 5g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs

This was posted at Low Carb Friends. I ended up doubling the amount of sweetener. It wasn't that it was too tart; it just had almost no sweetness. The original recipe called for 1 cup of Splenda. I also added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla but I'm not sure if it made any difference or not. This pie is delicious and I'm glad that I used the cookie crust. I'm already thinking about making a lemon version of this. Click the photo to see a close-up.

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