Michael's Favorite aka World's Greatest Cheesecake

We had a super busy December. With the release of "Service Fit For A King," the shipping of "Marauders of Woodward" (which were co-signed by the Father of the Marauder, Steve Babcock) and the pre-release of the much anticipated, "They Came With The Farm, Too" (which will be completed any day now), I literally planned our annual Christmas Eve dinner on the 23rd! Was I a bit panicky, you could say that!

I usually make an old standby, like a fruit trifle or my famous Tiramisu (don't worry, I'll post that recipe too!), but Michael requested a cheesecake. With two diabetic parents - one with a heavy sweet tooth, it had to be fabulous AND sugar free. According to Michael, I nailed it. He says it was the best cheesecake I've ever made and, quite possibly, the best he's ever had. Now, I don't know about that ... but my dad wasn't complaining, that's for sure! It only takes about 2 hours plus cooling time, so you can make it the same day you serve it. If you do try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did. — Linda

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup Splenda Granulated
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
⅓ cup reduced fat milk
½ cup dulce de leche

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix crust ingredients together, and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. (I put mine on the porch to cool quickly.)

Reset oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Beat cream cheese, Splenda and flour together until smooth. Add vanilla, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix for about 2 minutes. Add milk, blend well.

Measure ½ cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add dulce de leche and stir until well combined.

Pour plain batter over crust. Top with dulce de leche batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and gently swirl into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hrs before serving.

Serve on it's own or with whipped cream sweetened with Splenda.