Jasmine's Place Issue No. 17 - March/April 2017 | Page 20

THE CRUST: You want to make the crust first so that it has time to freeze before baking. You can use a regular graham cracker crust, but I made a homemade crust that is a bit healthier. This is a super simple recipe for homemade graham crackers that I modified from www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com Mix the wet ingredients together and set aside. I used organic, pure maple lychee flavored syrup. Combine the dry ingredients together. Mix both the wet and dry ingredients together and form into a ball with your hands. You can flatten the ball into the center of your pie dish and press out until the bottom of the dish is covered. Or you can crumble into the bottom of your pie pan. Cover with wax paper and wrap the bottom of the pie dish in foil. Freeze for 15-20 minutes while you are preparing the filling. FILLLING Modify the filling and topping recipes from www.myrecipes.com which calls this recipe “The Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake.” If you’ve ever had the blessing of visiting a Cheesecake Factory, you know that there is no better cheesecake! However, I modified the ingredients so that we could enjoy a healthier version of this treat. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. First, you will want to use an electric mixer to combine the Swerve, cream-cheese, Greek yogurt and vanilla. Whisk together the 5 eggs in a separate bowl and set aside. Once the swerve and cream- cheese mixture is smooth and creamy, add in the 5 eggs into the bowl and mix just until it is blended. 20 JASMINE'S PLACE There are several other sweeteners that you could use besides Swerve (erythritol is the main ingredient). Swerve is a non-GMO, non- aspartame, natural sugar substitute. It contains no calories, is non- glycemic, and it does not have the after taste that other sugar substitutes may contain. Not to mention, that it is non-glycemic! Of course, it should only be used in moderation. You could also try honey, or organic coconut sugar, but the texture of the cheesecake may be compromised. If anyone tries an alternative and enjoys the result, I would absolutely love to hear from you! Remove the graham cracker crust from the freezer, and pour the filling evenly on top of the crust. Bake for