Light fluffy textured cheesecake filled with chopped oranges, reduced-fat cream cheese and ricotta cheese makes a great warm weather dessert.

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons stick butter or margarine, melted
• 3 tablespoons Equal Spoonful or Granulated*

  Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup Equal Spoonful or Granulated**
• 1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
• 2 cups light whipped topping, thawed, if frozen
• 1 can (11 ounces) Mandarin oranges, drained, coarsely chopped
• Oranges sections (optional)
• Whipped topping (optional)

  * May substitute 4-1/2 packets Equal sweetener

  ** May substitute 18 packets Equal sweetener

Directions

1. For Crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and 3 tablespoons Equal. Press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated 350° F oven 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack while preparing cheesecake.
2. For Cheesecake, pour orange juice into small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice and let soften 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves. Beat cream cheese and ricotta cheese in mixing bowl on medium speed of mixer until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup Equal® and orange extract. Add gelatin mixture to cheese mixture; blend until smooth. Refrigerate cheese mixture, or place in freezer, 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Fold in whipped topping and chopped oranges. Spoon over baked crust.
3. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. To serve, gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Remove side of pan. Garnish top of cheesecake with orange sections and whipped topping, if desired. Cut cake into wedges. Nutritional Information