This is a basic cheesecake recipe. It is fairly dense (and becomes more so when completely cold). We like it with a strawberry topping, especially when strawberries are in season. I haven’t tried very much variation as far as fat levels in the cream cheese, but I think you can substitute, at least to an extent. When I tried just substituting low fat for one of the bricks, the batter seemed slightly looser, but I only detected a slight difference in the final product.

• 3 packages (1 and 1/2 lbs) cream cheese (room temperature)
• 4 eggs (preferably room temperature)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 Tablespoon) vanilla
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 Tablespoon) lemon juice
• 1 and 1/3 cups sugar equivalent of artificial sweetener (I like liquid concentrates for this recipe)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Crust:
• 1 cup almond meal
• 2 Tablespoon melted butter
• 2 Tablespoon artificial sweetener

Heat oven to 375 F.

Tip: If you have bricks or a pizza stone or unglazed ceramic tile*, put them on the lower rack of the oven. This will hold the heat in the oven. This is good for cheesecakes not baked in a water bath. (Well, actually, it’s helpful for any kind of baking, as it keeps the heat in the oven more constant. I keep a pizza stone in the oven most of the time.)

Combine ingredients for crust, and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown.

Raise oven heat to 400 F, or lower to 350 F if you’re using a water bath (see below).

Put cream cheese in mixing bowl, and beat until fluffy. Add other ingredients, scraping the bowl and beaters each time (this is very important), fully incorporating each ingredient. When all ingredients are combined, scrape one more time, beat one more minute, and pour mixture into pan over crust.

Instructions for water bath: Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan in foil, put it in a baking pan and pour boiling water around the sides. Bake at 350 F for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 155 F, remove from oven.

Instructions for non-water bath: For this method, you start the cake at a high temperature, and it slowly drops. If you have stoneware, bricks, etc, this allows it to happen at a slower rate, and I get better results in less time. Put the cheesecake on a sheet pan in case of drippage. After putting the cheesecake in the oven at 400 F, turn the oven down to 200 F. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often after an hour. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 155 F, remove from oven.

Chill completely. Top with fruit, if desired.

Makes 16 servings.Nutritional Information: Each serving has 2 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber, 6 grams protein, and 221 calories.

* Alton Brown of the “Good Eats” TV show says of pizza stones: “You could march down to Gourmets ‘R Us and plop down 30 or 40 bucks for a pizza stone. But a well-placed, unglazed quarry tile for 99 cents from a building supply will do the job just fine.”