Junior's Famous #1 Cheesecake

[Kitchen Witch]

Junior's Famous #1 Cheesecake
(Low Carb Style)

Ingredients for One 9-inch Sponge Cake Layer:

* 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* Pinch of salt
* 3 extra-large eggs separated
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Splenda
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 3 drops pure lemon extract
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

[Junior's Cheesecake] Preheat oven to 350°F. and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan. Sift the vital wheat gluten flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1/3 cup of Splenda and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear. Then blend in the butter.

In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons Splenda and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites should stand up in stiff peaks, but not be dry).

Stir about 1/3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites (don?t worry if a few white specks remain).

Gently spoon the batter into the pan. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes (watch carefully!). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling. Do not remove the cake from the pan.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling:

* 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese (NOT low-fat or "light"), at room temperature
* 1 2/3 cups Splenda
* 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
* 1 Tablespoon sugarfree pure vanilla extract
* 2 extra-large eggs
* 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the Splenda, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 mintues, then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese.

Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the Splenda, then beat in the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, until completely blended. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the baked sponge cake layer. Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. (While the cake is baking and cooling, make the macaroon crunch via the directions below.)

Ingredients for Macaroon Crunch:

* 1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, and/or walnuts)
* 1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut
(soaked in liquid sweetener overnight, drained and dried.)


Ingredients for Strawberry Topping:

* 1 quart large ripe strawberries
* 1 cup low-carb sugarfree strawberry jelly
(Jok n Al's, e.d. smith's, or Elwoods)
* 1/2 cup low-carb sugarfree apricot preserves (brands above)

To make the macaroon crunch: Spread the nuts and coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F. oven until golden and crunchy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set the crunch aside to cool.

To prepare the strawberries: Wash, hull, and sort through the strawberries, then pat them dry with paper towels. Slice berries in half or fourths lengthwise. Starting at the outside edge of the cheesecake, arrange the berries slices, in rows, with ends pointing toward the edge of the cake.

Continue until the top of the cake is completely covered by strawberries.

Now make the strawberry topping: Melt the strawberry jelly and apricot preserves together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Strain and drizzle the warm jelly over the berries.

Sprinkle the macaroon crunch in a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge of the cheesecake, covering the berries around the outside edge. Loosely cover the entire cake with plastic wrap, being careful not to let the glaze stick to the wrap.

Refrigerate the cake until it?s completely cold, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the cake from the pan and serve it chilled. Wrap any leftover cake in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Total carbs in cheesecake -- without topping: 89 / with topping: 127
Serves 20 - 6.35 carbs per serving w/topping; 4.45 without topping.