No-Bake Cheesecake

My first attempt at a no-bake cheesecake. I modified a recipe that came with my KitchenAid mixer and it came out delicious! A lot of the joy was in the chocolate crumb base that gave the cheesecake an extra subtle flavor.



No-Bake Cheesecake (adapted from KitchenAid)

2 8-oz packages low-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cup whipped topping, either homemade or packaged

1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
½ stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

First prepare the crumb mixture. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, ½ stick butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Line a 9-inch cake round with wax paper, overlapping to create handles, then fill with crumb mixture. Press this firmly into the cake pan, cover with another sheet of wax paper, and weight with something heavy (I used a glass mixing bowl). Refrigerate while you prepare the cheesecake.
*Most boxes of graham crackers divide the crackers into packaged groups of 5 or 6 sheets. One of these groups is perfect and you can smash it all up in the thick plastic, then just cut open and
voila!

Place cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla into mixer bowl. Mix until well-blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add whipped topping, mix another 1 minute. Pour over prepared crust and smooth out. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve, remove from pan using wax paper handles. Slice and top with sugared strawberries or chocolate sauce!

Serves 8




--Jirafa