Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake III

This recipe proves that you can bake terrific tasting cheesecakes with less fat. I call it the "Skinny Turtle" because layers of caramel and nuts top the graham cracker crust, complementing the chocolate cheesecake.

Yield

12 servings

Ingredients

6 whole reduced-fat graham crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
25 caramels
1/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan with Pan Release or baking spray with flour.

In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire cooling rack.

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir caramels and milk until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with pecans.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over caramel layer. Place pan on baking sheet.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Chill for 4 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan.

Estimated Time

Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutritional Information

1 piece equals 284 calories, 17 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 71 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 fat, 2 starch.

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