There may never be such a thing as a Healthy Cheesecake. Putting those two words together side by side is already an oxymoron in itself. Like the stuff of myths and legends, there is no such thing as a Healthy Cheesecake.
Right?
So, what then do people do when they badly crave the indulgent comfort of a slice of cake but are held back by the very real pinch in their waistbands?
People find a way.
We human beings are a very innovative species. We invented fire to help us break down tough fibrous plants and meat so our bodies can focus on building bigger brains, we found a way to fly and cross oceans without wings or fins, we created complex machines which help us perform tasks that grew our economy. We added tofu in our cheesecakes !!
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying at all to replace one of the world’s most loved dessert with a totally healthy version. No, no, no. I’m on your side, comrade. There is still cream cheese in this. It is still as thick and creamy and not 100% guilt-free. It still gets the cravings satisfied. It’s just got tofu in it.
Even the name itself suggest something that is hardly found in the natural world. Tofu=healthy, cheesecake=not-so-healthy. Tofu cheesecake=ERROR. Did you mean ‘Rare’? .
Apprehensive at first, I thought I’d give it a try anyway. After all, this is just the inverse version of those cheese tofu squares I enjoy during hotpot sessions.
I felt like a mother trying creative ways to hide vegetables into their child’s meals, except I was also the child. So sneaky. Yet so brilliant. The results were better than expected. I honestly did not taste a hint of tofu ! I steamed the tofu first just to make sure to get rid of the smell, and that it is cooked through. I also ran it through a sieve to wring out any excess liquid. You may skip these steps but you may have to increase either cream cheese just so the filling firms up nicely enough for you to cut.
Deliciously light without compromising on creamy. I think this is a good, ever so slightly ‘healthier’ version of the original. Whatever reason you choose to make this i.e health related or just plain curiosity, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Tofu Rare Cheesecake
Makes about 2-3 servings
Ingredients
for the base,
60g of digestive biscuits (or any plain biscuit)
30g of butter, melted
for the filling,
100g Cream cheese
150g Soft Tofu
50g Yogurt
50ml Heavy cream or Milk
50g Sugar
1-2 tbsp Lemon Juice (adjust to taste)
5g Gelatin
30ml warm milk
Method
- For the base, crush biscuits until a fine crumb. Mix with melted butter.
- Pack crumbs tightly (as packed as you can!) into the base of your pan. Chill in the fridge for at least 30mins.
- For the filling, combine gelatin with warm milk. Mix and set aside to bloom.
- Combine cream cheese, steamed soft tofu (squeeze out the extra liquid!), yogurt, milk, sugar & lemon juice and mix until smooth and combined. I used a blender for this step but you may also use a whisk.
- Strain cream cheese mixture through a sieve. Mix mixture with gelatin.
- Pour over chilled crumb base.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours to firm up before serving.
Gudeiary 