Low-Fat Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

May I suggest serving each slice with light whipped cream...Yum!

As a tweeter (@lbrapp), I have fun following other cooks, chefs and celebrities in addition to my friends. One of my favorites is Bethenny Frankel from original Real Housewives of New York because she posts lots of fabulous recipes that are easy and healthy. While I love learning classic dishes - like chicken Parmesan or coq au vin - I also like to find tasty healthy recipes to add to my repertoire, and Bethenny has been a good source for this.  This cheesecake was surprisingly simple and a delicious dessert. John asked me to make another one immediately after finishing the last piece of cheesecake!

Ingredients:

Crust:
* 1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed finely (about 9-10)
*2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
*1 tsp ground ginger
*2 tbsp melted butter (I ended up using about 3-4 tbsp to ensure the crust really firmed up well)

Filling:
*2 8 oz. containers reduced fat cream cheese, softened
*3/4 cups raw sugar (I used regular granulated sugar and added 1/4 cup baking splenda)
*2 eggs
*2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
*1 1/8 tsp nutmeg
*1 can of 15 oz. pumpkin (do not substitute pumpkin pie filling!)
*1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed graham crackers, butter, applesauce, and ground ginger. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

*In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and 1/4 cup splenda (optional), and vanilla until smooth. Mix eggs in one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend ¼ cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

*Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

*Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow the cake to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.