Winter Loveliness and a Sugar Free Cheesecake Recipe

Flawless snow (except for those adorable bunny tracks) in sunlight that showed up this afternoon after three stormy days.  Our stone wall that separates our yard from the golf course is buried; it's like we have this one enormous backyard to play in!

And when the light came in the dining room - glorious.  It's interesting how excited you can get about sunlight when you haven't seen it for a few days.  And how beautiful it makes everything.

When it's stormy, I always feel the urge to bake.  However, I and a friend are on a little diet together; mainly cutting out sugar for a couple months.  And almost no carbs either.  I've over done the bakeries this winter and I've got to reign it in or I'm gonna get "juicy" as my step daughter Kara says when she feels chubby.  So I thought if I make something sugar and carb free and just take a spoonful everyday I'll be okay.  Here's the result and you know, it's pretty good!

Sugar Free Double Chocolate Full Fat Cheesecake

Beat the following together in a mixing bowl on high:  16 oz full fat cream cheese, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and substitute for 3/4 cup sugar - I started with a 1/3 cup of Truvia and then added a bit more.  You can use Splenda as well.  Mix it to taste first and know that the sweetness will lessen a bit with baking.  It's better to be a little under sweet then too sickeningly sweet with the non sugar stuff.  Then add 3 eggs and 2 t vanilla.  Then 1/2 cup full fat sour cream.  Beat on high until super smooth and creamy.

In a 9" cake pan with 2" inch sides or a spring form pan, grease the bottom.  Sprinkle in the following for a "crust":  Unsweetened coconut, flax seeds, and sugar free chocolate chips (Lilly brand - they are stevia sweetened and really good).  You can also mix ground nuts with butter and make a crust like that too.  Or don't make a crust at all.  Pour in the cheese mixture.  Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Don't under bake.  Do not eat this even remotely warm, the sweetener will taste gross.  Let it cool to room temp and then chill over night or the rest of the day if you made it early.  Eat cold and then it is pleasantly sweet and quite yummy.  I had a sliver for dessert.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The white things on the bottom are a couple pecans I threw in - I didn't like those but I did love the crunchy flax, sugarless choc chips, and coconut for a bit of texture.  The cheesecake is super creamy.  I imagine with real sugar this will be amazing (someday).  ;)