Kathy Manweiler: Black Forest cheesecake-lite: Make the decadent dessert with fewer calories and fat

TOP OFF A MEAL with Black Forest cheesecake and you might want to stay in the dark about the damage it could do to your diets.

With more than 330 calories and 18 fat grams per serving, it doesn't fit into most calorie budgets.

So I lightened up this rich dessert, shaving off 34 percent of the calories and slashing 51 percent of the fat. You can have a serving of my Black Forest cheesecake for 219 calories and 8.9 grams of fat.

KATHY'S BLACK FOREST CHEESECAKE

For brownie layer:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons packed Splenda brown sugar blend

2 tablespoons Splenda (granulated for baking)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Egg Beaters

1 tablespoon cold brewed coffee

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

For cheesecake filling:

1 8-ounce package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

1 8-ounce container Cool Whip Lite

2 1.4-ounce boxes of sugar-free, fat-free

instant chocolate pudding, unprepared

For cherry topping:

1 1-pound bag frozen cherries

2 tablespoons Splenda

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cups in each of 12 muffin cups.

To make brownie layer, put the butter, oil and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat at 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more.

Stir the sugar substitutes, vanilla and salt into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the Egg Beaters and coffee and beat vigorously until fully incorporated. The batter should be thick and glossy.

Add the cocoa, flour and baking soda and stir just until it disappears.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about 1 tablespoon per cup). Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

To make cheesecake filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Cool Whip Lite and chocolate pudding mix with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and well blended.

Divide cheesecake mixture evenly over the cooked brownie layer in the muffin cups. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours or until well chilled.

To make cherry topping, combine fruit, Splenda, cornstarch and water in a saucepan and cook over low to medium heat, stirring often, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Let the topping cool and spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cherry topping over each cheesecake cup just before serving. Makes 12. Serves 12.

Per serving: 219 calories, 8.9 fat grams, 17 mg cholesterol, 33 carb grams, 3 protein grams, 1 fiber gram, 364 mg sodium.

Do you have a favorite food or popular recipe that you'd like to see made healthier? Send your ideas and recipes, along with a daytime phone number, to Kathy Manweiler at kmanweiler@wichitaeagle.com, or mail to: Don't Say Diet, McClatchy Newspapers, P.O. Box 820, Wichita, KS 67201.