Low Carb Cheesecake?

Over at JP's, Brenda suggested that I channel my cheesecake efforts into a low carb variety. I said "low carb cheesecake is like having a beautiful girlfriend that smells funny."

But, that's really a problem with taking most traditional carb-rich foods and translating them to low carb. They are never quite right. I thought I'd start from scratch, instead.

The biggest hurdle is really the crust. Cookies and crackers have no good lower carb substitution. Does it need crust at all? Maybe not. It needs something. A contrast of textures. A difference in mouth feel. Otherwise it's pudding. Pudding is not sensual. Cheesecake is.

Here's what spurred my change of heart. I've had vanilla on my mind. I'm smelling it everywhere. I imagine it. I'm dwelling on it. It's not the number one ice cream flavor for nothing. It seems basic to think about, but it's not so basic when you really smell or taste the good vanilla.

I have a small jar of Madagascar vanilla beans. I hate to open it because it's like I'm letting it all out. It smells heavenly. I can't not open it, either, because it smells heavenly.

But, with vanilla on my mind, I set to work on a cheesecake that so good that you won't care about the carbs that aren't there. A little non-traditional twist, here and there, but a cheesecake base so you know what you've got.

So, I've got a base recipe to work on, now. Whipped up a batch of filling, today. Made a crustless little number, to start. Vanilla bean cheesecake filling. Let's just say that it's a good thing I only made a little bit. I don't care how low carb it is, 1000 calories of low carb in a sitting is bad. And, this was bad. Naughty maybe. I wanted more.

Now for the contrasting element. I've got a few ideas. A few weeks of fiddling and perfecting, and you should see something good posted up here.

So, I guess it is possible, Brenda... There's hope for having a beautiful girlfriend that smells heavenly.