Almond Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

 

1/2

cup crushed graham crackers (8 squares)

2

packages (8 oz each) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened

2/3

cup sugar

2

eggs

1/2

teaspoon almond extract

2

cups vanilla low-fat yogurt

2

tablespoons all-purpose flour

2

cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) raspberries (about 9 oz)

2

tablespoons water

3

tablespoons sugar

1/4

teaspoon almond extract

Sliced almonds

Fresh raspberries

• 1 Heat oven to 300°F. Spray 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle crushed crackers over bottom of pan.
• 2 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 2/3 cup sugar, the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add yogurt and flour. Beat on low speed until smooth. Carefully spread batter over crackers in pan.
• 3 Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until edge is firm and center is slightly jiggly. (Do not insert knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Turn off oven; cool in oven 30 minutes with door closed. Remove from oven; cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Carefully remove side of pan. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• 4 Meanwhile, in food processor, place all sauce ingredients. Cover; process until smooth. Press sauce through strainer to remove seeds. Serve cheesecake with sauce. Garnish with almonds and fresh raspberries. Store covered in refrigerator.