Low Carb Vanilla CheeseCake (w/ a nut free crust!)

Make this...just do it. I've perfected it by making it at least 10 times and it never lasts long. With my ingredients, I calculate 50 net grams of carbs for the whole cheese cake...that's less than than one piece at the cheesecake factory, and we typically get 12 GENEROUS slices out of this recipe. For an extra special treat, serve topped with a raspberry puree or a small portion of melted dark chocolate. (No one will know this is low carb...promise!)


Crust:
1/2 c pork rind flour (food processed until finely ground)
1 c. coconut flakes
2 Tbsp coconut flour
3 Tbsp coconut oil or melted butter
1 dropper full (approximately 20 drops) vanilla stevia


Add coconut flakes to a food processor or high powered blender first. Allow to run until coconut is ground finely, but not until it's coconut butter. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.  Press into the bottom of a springform pan (I use a 12 inch) and set aside.


Heat the oven to 425 and put about 1 inch of water in a pan that can hold your springform in the oven to preheat as well. (This is a water bath, for those of you who don't often make cheesecake. You can omit this step, but your cheesecake will crack on the top...it will still taste delicious, but may not look like it came from the Cheesecake Factory. Your call :) Prepare your filling as described below.


If your springform is not waterproof, or you aren't sure, wrap foil around it, going up over the top edge. It might take 2 pieces.


Filling:
1 cup full fat ricotta (read labels...mine has 2 g carb per 1/4 c serving)
24 oz full fat cream cheese (buy name brand...1 g carb per 1 oz serving)
4 large eggs
1/2 c + 2 Tbsp erythritol, or 1/2 c birch xylitol
5 droppers full (100 drops) English Toffee Stevia (NO SUBS...gives it the perfect carmel-ly flavor)
3 Tbsp canned, full fat coconut milk or heavy whipping cream
1/4 c vanilla extract*


Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and drop a couple inches on the counter a couple times to get all the air bubbles out.


Place your cheesecake in your prepared water bath (or just in the oven) and turn the oven (which should be at 425) down to 325 and bake your cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow your cheesecake to remain in the warm oven for an hour or so. Remove and chill.


DON'T TAKE THE EDGE OFF OF YOUR PAN UNTIL IT'S COOL!!! It will collapse. I tell you this from experience. It's not pretty folks...but it sure does taste good! Waiting is hard, I know. If you must...just take a spoonful from the piece that will be yours. Don't ruin the whole cake because of your impatience :)


Second note...when you place this in the fridge make sure it's stable, preferably not balancing on a head of cabbage and a pyrex dish, because (again, from experience) if you accidently hit said head of cabbage and your cheesecake loses it's balance, it will come flying out of the fridge and land top side down on the floor. You will look slightly pathetic scooping it off the floor and then getting up the remainder with a spoon, however, I won't judge you...because I've been there...


Third note...this freezes beautifully, and will also keep in the fridge for about a week.


*I make my own vanilla by purchasing vanilla beans in bulk, cutting them in half lengthwise and sticking them in a cheap bottle of vodka or bourbon. Let them hang out for about a month, or longer and you have super affordable vanilla extract with no fillers :) I also made homemade vanilla as gifts one Christmas by buying airplane liquor bottles and putting one bean in each bottle - HUGE HIT!


(Lindsey Slattery is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This costs you nothing, but if you purchase items that I recommend, I will receive a small percentage of the item's cost.)

Double Chocolate Mocha Biscotti (low carb, gluten free, dairy free)

2 ¼ cups almond flour

¼ c cocoa powder

2 Tbsps tapioca flour

1 egg

Pinch of salt

50 drops of liquid stevia

¼ cup strongly brewed coffee

½ tsp baking soda

Handful of chocolate chips

 

Mix all of the dry ingredients in the food processor. Add the egg, stevia and coffee. Process until it all comes together. Add the chocolate chips and pulse until they are combined.

Work the dough with your hands into 2 small loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until they are set and cool enough to handle.

 Cut biscotti pieces with a sharp, serrated knife and spread the pieces out on the parchment.

Return to oven for 10-12 minutes, turn oven off and leave in for a couple of hours or until they are dried out to your liking. 

If serving within 24 hours, simply package in an airtight container and leave on the counter. If serving later, freeze them – they’re good both frozen and defrosted.

Delicious, both with coffee and without.

Cranberry Apple Cheesecake Crumble

Crust and topping
3 cups almond meal
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Splenda granular
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1.5 Tbsp molasses
1 vanilla bean (paste from) or 2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher sea salt

Topping only
1/2 cup pecans, whole
2 Tbsp heavy cream

Filling
24 (3 blocks) ounces cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
5 droppers of vanilla stevia+20 drops regular stevia (or 1/2-3/4 sugar...depends on how sweet you like things)
1/2 c heavy cream
1 large Granny Smith apple (or 2 small)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups cranberry sauce (I used homemade cranberry apple...leftover from thanksgiving, of course!)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In large bowl, combine almond meal, butter, Splenda, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla bean paste and salt. Mix until crumbly with your hands.

Dump approximately 1/3 of the crust mixture to form a thin bottom crust with your hands or spoon. Go up the sides about 1/2 an inch as well.

Add topping cream and pecans and mix.

In another bowl, use a hand mixer starting low and increasing to high speed until well blended, combine cream cheese, eggs, cream and stevia. Pour into crust.

Core apple and slice into very thin 1/2 circle sections. Arrange in circles around the edge of the cream cheese mixture, all the way to the middle. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. Spread the cranberry sauce over the apples.

Gently layer remaining crumble topping evenly over top. Bake for 45 minutes or until topping lightly browned and a sharp knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.