French Style Cheesecake

Cheesecake or a cake baked with cheese is usually rich and dense. It is delicious and not overtly sweet. My daughter is fond of cheesecakes and I have always wanted to try one at home. She likes the New York style cheesecake but that is truly rich. I wanted something light and so decided to bake this French style cheesecake. French cheesecakes are light and fluffy though they may be very rich too.


This cheesecake is made with a cream cheese called neufchatel. This cheese is from the Normandy region of France and is under EU protection. The version of neufchatel sold in the US is lighter than regular cream cheese. That got me interested in it and I went looking for it in my neighborhood Whole Foods. I was surprised to find it in the Whole Foods brand. I guess it is really popular here in the US.


The cream cheese was easy to work with and combined with the sour cream gave the cheesecake a lovely flavor. Using sour cream instead of whipping cream helped lighten the cake too. I debated whether to use fresh fruit compote to garnish the top but in the end settled for some kiwi slices. I baked the cheesecake in individual serving bowls. When the cake came out of the oven the aroma spread through the whole house.

You will need
For the crust
6 Digestive biscuits or graham crackers
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. butter, melted

For the filling
1 8 oz. packet Neufchatel cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Break the digestive biscuits or graham crackers in small pieces and place them in a plastic sealed bag. Using a rolling pin roll over the bag to crush the biscuits. In a mixing bowl combine the crushed biscuits with the sugar and melted butter. Place the mixture on the bottom of the baking dish or bowls. Press down such that it rises up about an 1/2 inch on the side.


Let the cold ingredients sit on the kitchen counter until they reach room temperature. It is a lot easier to work with. Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer for half a minute. Add the other ingredients and beat again for another half minute. Ladle the mixture over the crumb crust. Place the bowls on a baking sheet.


Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is jiggly but set. Let the cake cool slightly before placing the bowls in the refrigerator. Cool completely for about an hour or two. Garnish with fruit or chocolate.


Enjoy!


Comments

  1. I love how you have made them individual serve size! Love the idea of using sour cream in the recipe.

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  2. Cheesecake looks absolutely delicious !Nicely done.

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  3. Wow the cheese cake looks great and tempting. .like that simple garnish. I must say you have a great knack at making low cal food.

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  4. Cheesecake looks absolutely stunning!! awestruck!!!

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  5. I really wish I could taste this cheesecake Varada. The description is really yum :). Would be great if you can share this with the 'say cheese' event going on in my space...

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  6. I enjoyed your series so much Varada, thanks for all the efforts you put in..this is a delicious dessert, might look into replacing the egg though!

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  7. Lovely recipe, I need to try this cheesecake as I'm not too fond of very rich ones. Jayanthi(www.sizzlingveggies.com)

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  8. Cheesecake is asking me to grab and finish rite now.. prefect dessert to finish a meal..

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  9. Love this lighter version of the cheesecake -- it looks simpler to make too. Will have to try this some time.

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  10. French style cheesecake and low fat version sounds interesting and tasty indeed. Nice presentation.

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  11. Amazing.. each and every recipe was really great.

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  12. Not a fan of cheese cakes at all, but this looks lovely for cake lovers 😊😊

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  13. Delicious I wish I could dip my big ladle in one of the bowls.

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  14. Yum Yum Yum!!! Cheesecake looks super creamy...Nice presentation

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  15. Interesting Cheesecake. We are not too fond of cheesecake but this lighter version sounds tempting.

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  16. That's one decadent version of cheese cake. Loved all your choices in the French cuisine this week.

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