Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

12 servings 

Ingredients

2/3 cup (about 3 oz) reduced-fat chocolate wafer cookie crumbs or chocolate graham crackers
1 1/2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 lb small curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) package nonfat cream cheese
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup alkaline-treated cocoa
1/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur or orange juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh orange peel
2 oz chopped semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Combine crumbs and melted butter. Pat evenly over bottom and about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Bake until crust is slightly toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to cool and leave oven on.
2. In a blender or food processor, whirl cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs and egg whites until very smooth. Mix sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Add cheese mixture, orange juice or liqueur  and orange peel to the sugar and cocoa mixture.
3. Melt chocolate in microwave until soft. Stir until smooth, then scrape into cheese mixture. Beat with mixer or pulse in food processor until smoothly blended. Pour into crust.
4. Bake in oven until center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and run a thin knife between cake and pan rim. Refrigerate cake uncovered, until cool, at least 2 and 1/2 hours.
5. To serve, remove pan rim and cut cake into wedges. Or, when completely cooled, wrap airtight and refrigerate for up to 2 days. This can also be frozen.

Nutrition

Per serving
Total calories 190
Fat 6 g
Carbohydrates 30 g
Cholesterol 39 mg
Protein 8 g
Fiber 2 g

Note: In comparison, the Cheesecake Factory Original Cheesecake® has 49 g of fat and 215 mg of cholesterol and the Cheesecake Factory lite version has 29 g of fat and 190 mg of cholesterol