Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

I first made this recipe about a year and a half ago for our 2nd wedding anniversary. I had found it in my Best of Cooking Light Magazine and thought I would try it out for a romantic dinner. I wanted to have a nice dessert, but without all the calories. It was fabulous! I didn't realize that it had been that long since I had made it, but thought of it the other day. I had found a ton of cream cheese on sale and knew it would be the perfect way to use some of it up.

We invited some friends over to have stuffed shells and I made this cheesecake for dessert. This is such a fabulous cheesecake, it is creamy and just so wonderful. I am not a huge cheesecake person and I absolutely love it! My mom loved it so much she asked if I would make it for her friends birthday, which I obliged. You really can't tell that this is a lightened up version, I promise! A great way to get all that creamy, luscious goodness without all the guilt! This is great for Valentine's, Anniversary or any special meal. The great thing about it is you totally make it ahead of time so there's no sweat right before company arrives or dinner is served.

Light Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients
Cheesecake:
1/2 cup sugar
20 reduced-calorie vanilla wafers
1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
3 large egg whites, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs

Sauce:
1 pint sliced strawberries
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

For Cheesecake:

Place 1/2 cup sugar, wafers, and dash salt in a food processor; process until mixture resembles sand. Place 1 egg white in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until frothy. Add 2 tablespoons egg white to the sandy mixture and process until blended (discard remaining egg white).

Firmly press mixture into bottom and slightly up sides of an 9 inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven to 300°.
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and remaining dash salt in a large bowl. Add cream cheeses. Beat until smooth on medium high speed. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, beating until just incorporated. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add remaining 2 egg whites. Beat just until incorporated.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared springfoam pan. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until a 3-inch circle in the center of the cheesecake barely jiggles when the side of the pan is tapped. (If you are using an 8 inch pan add 15 minutes to the baking time). It may appear looser than you would like, but it will firm up overnight. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

For Sauce:

Place strawberries, 1/2 cup water, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing lightly with a spatula, discarding any remaining solids. Return sauce to pan. Combine 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan. Bring to a boil. After it boils, continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in 2 teaspoons juice.