Light Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4-1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 lb part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup low-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. 1

   Cream together sugar and butter; stir in egg; combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; add to butter mixture; mix to form a soft dough; reserve a half cup dough to be used later for topping; refrigerate the remaining dough.

2. 2

   In a medium-sized bowl, whip egg whites until stiff; combine egg yolks, sugar, ricotta cheese, sour cream, flour, salt, orange juice, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until smooth; gently fold in whipped egg whites.

3. 3

   Press chilled dough evenly into a 10" springform pan that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray; pour filling over crust; combine reserved dough with oatmeal and cinnamon; crumble this topping evenly over filling.

4. 4

   Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near center of cheesecake comes out clean.

5. 5

   Cool cheesecake on rack; cover and refrigerate to chill thoroughly; just before serving remove sides of springform pan and transfer cheesecake to serving platter.