Cheesecake on a diet? Really?

 When I go out to eat, I always take a peak at the dessert menu and spot my absolute favorite dessert: cheesecake.  I will eat it anyway, strawberry, plain, chocolate, etc.  I am always looking of a really really good cheesecake, but I can't eat a ton of cheesecake, because it is loaded with calories and its not exactly something I can eat on a low carb diet.

So, I stumbled across this little gem of a recipe: marbled chocolate cheesecake bars and I did a little jig.  I mouthed, cheesecake in a 'diet' cookbook?  No WAY?!! 

So, I decided to give it a shot!  Here is my review of marbled cheesecake bars!

Ease of Making:  This one was complicated.  I know cheesecake is not an easy process to undergo.  I've made full calorie, full carb cheesecake cheesecake and it usually takes me a lot longer than I want to make.  This was no exception.  I would give this recipe an D for easy.  It's complicated.  I like cooking, but if you're looking for an easy recipe for cheesecake, this is one to avoid.

Likeability:  This one I'm a little mixed on.  I adore cheesecake and I also adore chocolate, so put them together and I'm in heaven.  Put together a 'healthy' cheesecake with chocolate and I'm going to swoon.  This doesn't taste like cheesecake to me.  It is a very good bar, but to me it tastes more like a very rich brownie with a cheesecake aftertaste.  My children, of course, were all in favor of this and wanted more!  More mommy!  More!  The kids loved it, I'm not sure it was for me, so I'm going to give this an B+.  I think it would a great family treat.

Diet or Bust:

Cheesecake on a diet?  That was the ultimate question.  I read the nutritional information and did a double take.  It was literally the perfect dessert, because it is not too high in fat and not too high in calories.  95 calories for one bar and only 15 carbs?  That literally is too good to be true.  But GUESS WHAT?  It really is!  This is a perfect diet dessert.  This gets a grade of A+, because it is right at the limit for someone on a carb limiting diet and the calories are low!

Overall, give it a try and see what you think!  I wasn't too impressed, but my kids thought it was great!  It is a pretty impressive and not too bad family option if you're looking for a better way to cut sweets but not avoid them altogether.  To me this dessert scores altogether with a B+.

Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Obtained from Taste of Home Comfort Foods Diet

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup butter

1 1/2 squares (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Cream Cheese Mixture:

1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg white

1 tablesppon vanilla extract

1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  In a small saucepan, combine the water, butter, and chocolate.  Cook and stir over low heat until melted; stir until smooth.  Cool.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Beat in the egg, egg white and sour cream on low speed until combined.  Beat in chocolate mixture until smooth.  In another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg white, and vanilla until smooth; set aside.

3.  Spread the chocolate batter into a 15 inch x 10 inch x 1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Drop the cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls over batter; cut through batter with a knife to swirl.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

4.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 4 dozen

Nutritional information: 1 bar equals 95 calories, 4 gram fat, 2 gram saturated fat, 10 mg saturated fat, 90 mg sodium, 15 gram carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 gram protein