Chef KTD: Lighter Mini-Cheesecakes With Berry Compote

Lower in fat and calories, higher in delicious

EATING HEALTHY DOESN'T necessarily mean cutting out all the sweets that kids love. But cutting out a few of the worst offending ingredients - super-refined sugars and high-fat dairy, for instance - can make for a healthier, and still delicious kid-friendly treat.

This version of cheesecake has 163 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving, compared to 350 calories and 18 grams of fat in national-brand cheesecake available in grocery market freezer sections.   

Our Chef KTD Liz Madsen showed our producer, Sarah Gonzales, how a few key substitutions can seriously lighten up dessert - listen below...

Mini-Cheesecakes with Berry Compote

for the Crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 Tbsp raw sugar (Sucanat)
• 1 Tbsp agave syrup
• 1.5 tsp unsweetened apple sauce

for the Filling:

• 12 oz. (1.5 packages) Neufchâtel cheese
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla (or 1/2 vanilla bean)

for Compote:

• 1 cup fresh berries
• 1 Tbsp agave syrup
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350

Combine crust ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until it squeezes into a ball in your hand. Press one tablespoon of crust into the bottoms of a 12-cup muffin pan.

Beat Neufchâtel cheese, raw sugar  and vanilla together until smooth. Separate eggs, then fold in egg whites slowly to prevent beating air into mixture. Divide filling among muffin cups.

Place muffin pan atop a cookie sheet and surround muffin pan with ice cubes, this makes humidity in the oven to keep cheesecakes from cracking.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until firm on top.

While cheesecakes are baking, slice strawberries or place whole rasperries, salmonberries, etc. into small pot with agave syrup, lemon juice and vanilla. To thicken add a slurry of mixed cornstarch and water to pot. Chef KTD blends this mixture until smooth then adds chunks of more berries for a nice texture.

Serve cheesecakes with berry compote - warm or chilled. 

Liz Madsen is the pastry chef at Kinley's Restaurant in Anchorage. She started making "healthy" versions of desserts when she worked at the Canyon Ranch Health Spa in Arizona.