Honey Lemon Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Blackberry Swirl

I'm not one to sacrifice taste for calories, but this low-fat Greek Yogurt cheesecake is absolutely decadent!

Last year when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was obsessed with baking cheesecakes, and eating greek yogurt by the quart. I looked in my fridge and only had one bar of cream cheese (most cheesecakes need at least three) and a giant tub of greek yogurt. I had heard of people of using sour cream in cheesecakes, and remembered my best friend Helen comparing greek yogurt to the consistency of sour cream. Thus, this greek yogurt cheesecake was born.

I can now say with confidence that this wasn't some crazy pregnancy craving. This cheesecake is sweet and creamy without the fat and overwhelming richness that you might experience with an all-cream-cheesecake.

   I usually serve this cheesecake with a warm blueberry compote, but blackberries were on sale (score!) and I remember the raspberry swirled cheesecake I made was a hit. (you could also use raspberries with this recipe.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Throw one-and-a-half packages of graham crackers into a food processor. Add a stick of melted butter and a few tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Press the graham cracker crumbs into a 9 inch springform pan--about halfway up the sides. (I usually freeze my crust before I bake it, but you don't have to.)

Put one package of cream cheese into a stand-mixer with paddle-attachment, and mix well. Add the greek yogurt and mix in. Add the sugar and honey. Then add in eggs-- one at a time. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Once the cheesecake mixture is smooth with no chunks, stop mixing. Nobody likes an overmixed cheesecake.

Now put the blackberries in a small saucepan with a quarter cup of blackberry jam (or any jam, really.)

Simmer on low until the blackberries have smushed (yes, smushed) and has thickened--about 15-20 minutes.

Strain the blackberry mixture through a seive if you're not into seeds (like me) into a medium sized bowl (duh). Let the mixture cool.

Once the mixture has cooled, and you've put the cheesecake mixture into the crust, drizzle the blackberry mixture onto the cheesecake. Use a knife to swirl around (it's really fun.)

Now you have cheesecake art!

Throw your art in the oven on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes. Once the cheesecake is set and jiggly, take your cheesecake out and let cool. Run a knife around the edges and remove the springform pan-thing. Refridgerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Once cool, shove in mouth.

Enjoy!

Yum!

Printable directions below.

Recipe: Honey Lemon Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Blackberry Swirl

For the crust:

• 1 and 1/2 packages of graham crackers
• 1 stick of melted butter
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Throw one-and-a-half packages of graham crackers into a food processor. Add a stick of melted butter and a few tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Press the graham cracker crumbs into a 9 inch springform pan--about halfway up the sides. (I usually freeze my crust before I bake it, but you don't have to.)

For the cheesecake:

(uses a 9 inch springform pan)

• 1 8oz package of cream cheese (I used Nuchfatel) 
•  3 6oz containers of lemon greek yogurt             
•  1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup suger
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine cream cheese and greek yogurt. Add honey and sugar--combine. Add the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Combine until just smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Drizzle blackberry swirl on top of mixture (recipe below)-- swirl with knife. Bake cheesecake on middle rack for 40-50 minutes. Let cool and remove springform. Refridgerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Enjoy.

For the blackberry swirl:

• one half-pint package of blackberries
• 1/4 cup blackberry jam

Simmer the blackberries and jam in a small saucepan over very low heat. Once blackberries are smushed and the sauce has thickened, put through seive if desired. Let mixture cool and drizzle onto cheesecake mixture. Swirl with knife.