Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Chef John Michael Lerma prepares a sweet treat that you can enjoy without abandoning your diet.  A slice of a normal Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake has 18 Weight Watcher points but John Micheal’s version has only 3 Weight Watcher points!

1 ½ cups finely ground chocolate graham crackers
1 1/8 cups sugar, divided
¼ cups unsalted butter or margarine (regular, low-fat, or fat-free), melted
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup half-and-half (regular or fat-free)
24 ounces cream cheese (regular, low-fat, or fat-free), room temperature
1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste (available www.GardenCountyCooking.com)

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Wrap the bottom and sides a 9-inch spring form pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.  Set aside. 
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine chocolate graham crackers and 1/8 cup of sugar.  Process to a fine crumb.  Add melted butter/margarine and process until incorporated into crumb mixture.  Press ground mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.  Place in a freezer until cheesecake filling is ready to be added.   
3. Carefully melt chocolate chips (microwave or stove top).  Stir in half-and-half and mix well.  Set aside. 
4. Beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 cup of sugar in a slow, steady stream.  Add cocoa and beat well.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until combined.  Stir vanilla bean paste and chocolate chip mixture into batter until just blended.  Pour over chilled crust. 
5. Set cake pan inside a larger baking or roasting pan and place in oven.  Slowly pour hot water halfway up the side of the spring form pan.  Bake for 70 - 80 minutes or until the center is almost set.
6. Cool on wire rack completely before refrigerating at least 6 hours or overnight.  Run knife around edge of pan to loosen.  Serves 16.  Decorate or serve plain.

Here are the nutritional numbers for the “healthier” version of the Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

• Calories = 98
• Fat = 3g
• Carbs = 13g
• Protein = 4g