COOKING with CANNABIS
FALL In Love with
Keto Cheesecake
by Chef Dana Cunningham
Here ’ s to another great fall season . I hope everyone is well . Because of my health concerns and going through different stages of my life , my body has changed how it metabolizes food . This is not unique to me . It is a very common situation many people experience throughout their lives . I choose to take a holistic approach when it comes to dealing with my body and symptoms , which means I incorporate a mixture of supplements , exercise , good sleep , meditation , and diet . What I ’ ve learned is that my body does not do well at this point in my life when I eat sugar , high-carb , and processed foods . I feel much better and healthier when I do not eat such things . Remember , everyone is different , so consult your doctor before you go on an extreme diet . I ’ m merely saying that this works best for me . So , without further ado , I introduce my Keto Cheesecake recipe , which incorporates a bit of my homegrown foods and a touch of infusion .
I am excited to share my cheesecake recipe because it ’ s one of my absolute favorite things to make . The flavor combinations are endless . It ’ s a really great way to experience baking and explore your creativity at the same time . One of my favorite things to do with this recipe is to play around with fruits and chocolates and even flavored syrups to add or enhance flavors where you didn ’ t think it was possible .
If you ’ re new to baking or intimidated by it , cheesecake is an easy thing to start with . Maybe you ’ ve made some cookies before , but that ’ s about it , or you haven ’ t tried baking at all . Well , cheesecake is not as intimidating as it sounds , and if you follow the method instructions , it can make things a lot easier for you in the long run .
There are a couple of things to remember when baking a cheesecake . I always use a springform pan , which you can get at stores like Walmart for relatively cheap . Basically , it is a ring with a bottom that comes out when you unlock it , enabling you to take the sides off the pan and easily remove the finished cheesecake . Otherwise , you ’ d be left with a mess , trying to get the cheesecake out of a pan . Also , I always put a circle of parchment paper at the bottom just to make sure that the cheesecake crust never attaches to the bottom of the pan , and it ensures that I have a clean crust at the end .
There are a few different ways you can infuse this cheesecake . The easiest way is to infuse the crust because you can use infused butter or oil when you ’ re making it . If you are more advanced at baking and would like to use infused whipped cream on top or use an infused cream to make buttercream icing to decorate , that is also an option . There are endless possibilities , and it ’ s whatever you want to make it , so let the creative juices flow and bring in your favorite flavors and design ideas . Now , let ’ s get baking .
The market today has tons of Keto products out there , including gluten-free Keto , Paleo , egg-free , nut-free , soy-free , and whatever you want . I only have a few of these products in my household . They all fall into the processed food category and do not provide any nutritional value –– most of the time . However , when making a special occasion cake like cheesecake , I enjoy the convenience of picking up some of my ingredients at the store to make this task a little bit easier and more enjoyable . I choose Swerve confectioners sugar for the sugar replacement , and for the chocolate , I choose Enjoy Life
42 October 2024 semi-sweet chocolate chunks for my crust . I choose a Keto chocolate and Keto cereal that I crush up . These are just a couple of shortcuts I take when making cheesecakes so that , one , I can track the macros from these items , and two , it saves me tons of time .
Ingredients
1 stick of butter ( use infused butter as desired ) 9 oz of chocolate Keto cereal 2 oz of Keto-friendly , sugar-free , semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 eggs 1 ¼ cup of plain yogurt or sour cream ¾ cup of Swerve confectioners sugar 2 cups of cream cheese 1 tablespoon of vanilla 1 tablespoon of sugar-free syrup ( I did Hazelnut )
The Method
1 . Take a 9 – 12-inch springform pan and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom to keep the bottom from sticking .
2 . Set the oven to preheat at 325 degrees . Take the Keto cereal and place it in a gallon Ziplock bag . Hit it with a mallet or a hammer until it is crumbs .
3 . Melt a stick of butter , some may be infused , and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in the microwave . After it has become liquid , mix well to incorporate .
4 . In a large bowl , mix the cereal crumbs and the butter mixture together until the cereal is completely coated in butter . Transfer the crumbs to the springform pan and press down to make an even crust . Once that is finished , place the pan in the freezer .
5 . Gather the yogurt , cream cheese , and sugar substitute , and beat in a stand mixer , using a scraper to scrape the edges of the bowl .
6 . Once the mixture is thoroughly combined , add the eggs , vanilla , and flavored syrup . Mix until incorporated .
7 . Pour the mixture into the springform pan , place on a baking sheet , and bake for 55 minutes or until the center is set .
8 . To prevent cracking , place an oven-safe bowl of water on the baking sheet with the cheesecake .
9 . When the center is set , let the cheesecake cool in the turned-off oven with the door cracked open for 2 hours , then place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before decorating . 10 . Lastly , have fun decorating and adding your desired toppings .
Grab a slice of your cheesecake , head outside to your porch or deck at sunset , and take in the awesome fall colors and a few bites of yummy cheesecake ! Enjoy !
Dana Cunningham is a Kansas City Native trained in French and American cuisine . She owns Infused KC , Kansas City ’ s CBD infusion think tank and focuses her culinary efforts on the farm-to-table concept at her four-acre homestead . She provides cooking classes in Kearney , MO . Follow her on Facebook , @ infusedkcmo or YouTube @ sunsetgrovekearney . Get your CBD at , www . infusedkc . com .