New York Style Lemon Cheesecake (in the Crock-Pot)

I love cheesecake--almost as much as I love stuffed jalapenos.  Of course, they each fill a different part of the dietary needs, so you need a good recipe for both.  When reading Dana Carpender's 200 LOW-CARB SLOW COOKER RECIPES, I came across a couple of recipes for slow-cooker cheesecake.  Since my oven is still broken, the idea of slow-cooker cheesecake sounded really good!  I used a recipe I've been playing with for a few days and used Dana's instructions for slow-cooker cheesecake.  I also Googled slow-cooker cheesecake.  This is the result.

Tools needed:
8" spring-form pan
slow-cooker large enough to hold the spring-form pan
electric mixer
aluminum foil

 Ingredients:
2 packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 package of Crystal Light lemonade mix (2 quart size)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
cheesecake crust (your favorite version of ground nuts, butter, and sweetener)

Process:
Preheat the slow-cooker on "High."
Mix your crust, press into the spring-form pan, and bake for 10-20 minutes in a 325○F oven.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, and lemonade powder until creamy.  It will be thick.  Using a spatula, spread the mixture over the baked crust and cover tightly with foil. 

Take a large sheet of aluminum foil and roll it into a tube, then bend the tube into a circle.  Arrange the circle of foil in the bottom of the slow-cooker.  Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of the slow-cooker.  Place the foil-covered spring-form pan in the pre-heated slow-cooker.  Replace the lid and cook for 3-4 hours.

Once the time is up, turn off the slow-cooker and remove the lid.  Let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for at least 30 minutes.  After the cooling time, place the covered spring-form pan in the refrigerator to chill.  (I let mine sit for about 3 hours before putting on a topping of 1/2 cup sour cream mixed with 1 package of IDEAL sweetener.) 

Cut the cheesecake into 8 equal pieces and serve.



Volley's Notes:

• This cheesecake is NOT very sweet--if you want a sweeter dessert, you will have to add sweetener to the recipe.  
• If you want a plain cheesecake (not lemon), look for Dana Carpender's recipe for New York-Style Cheesecake in 200 LOW-CARB SLOW COOKER RECIPES (2005).
• The nutritional information does not include a crust--you will need to add the crust you choose to your carb count.  Dana Carpender and several of the low-carb bloggers have great cheesecake crusts from which to choose. 
• Nutritional info include the sour cream/truvia topping.
• For different flavors, you could use different drink mixes--just make sure they are sugar-free and are the large size (the one that makes 2-quarts). 
• Instead of a tube of aluminum foil, I used an inverted bowl in the bottom of the slow-cooker.  Choose one on which the spring-form pan is level and allows the lid to fit tightly on the slow-cooker.
• Next time, I think I'm going to add some sweetener.  It's good without it, but not at all sweet.

	Nutrition Facts   8 Servings Amount Per Serving   Calories 259.0   Total Fat 23.3 g       Saturated Fat 16.1 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g       Monounsaturated Fat 2.2 g   Cholesterol 118.9 mg   Sodium 212.7 mg   Potassium 58.9 mg   Total Carbohydrate 1.6 g       Dietary Fiber 0.0 g       Sugars 0.0 g   Protein 6.5 g   Vitamin A 18.0 %   Vitamin B-12 3.4 %   Vitamin B-6 1.2 %   Vitamin C 0.4 %   Vitamin D 2.5 %   Vitamin E 0.8 %   Calcium 3.8 %   Copper 0.3 %   Folate 2.3 %   Iron 1.1 %   Magnesium 0.8 %   Manganese 0.0 %   Niacin 0.1 %   Pantothenic Acid     1.0 %   Phosphorus     4.9 %   Riboflavin 5.0 %   Selenium 0.9 %   Thiamin 0.7 %   Zinc 1.5 % Nutritional Info from SparkPeople Recipe Builder *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.