The first time I served this to Tim and the kids, I knew I’d hit a home run when I looked across the table and saw Grace (our food critic, with a most sophisticated palate) with her eyes closed, head waving back and forth, smiling and murmuring “Mmmmmmmm.” That said it all. Top this luscious cheesecake with the cherry topping or with fresh berries.
Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• ½ pound gluten-free cinnamon graham crackers
• 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 4 8-ounce packages reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, and set it aside.

2 Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place them in a food processor or mini-chopper. Pulse 5 to 6 times, or until the crackers break apart into fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, and stir in the melted butter.

3 Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan.

4 Using a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest, and mix until well blended. Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour the mixture over the crust in the springform pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center is almost set. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

5 When you are ready to serve, remove the sides of the springform pan, and spoon berries or the cherry topping over the cheesecake.

Cherry Topping
Ingredients

• 1 10-ounce bag frozen black cherries
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions
1 Place the cherries, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add ½ cup of water, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 6 minutes.

2 Remove the pan from the heat and let the topping cool to room temperature. Then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Serves 10.

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Excerpted from Deliciously G-Free by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Copyright © 2012 by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.