Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

Makes 12 to 14 servings

Mandel Bread Crumb Crust:

• 12 Stella D'oro Almond Toast cookies
• 1 to 2 teaspoons egg substitute (such as Egg beaters), or whisked egg

• 24 ounces nonfat cottage cheese, such as Light and Lively Free
• 8 ounces lowfat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, other orange liqueur, or orange juice

• 1/4 cup apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, other orange liqueur, or orange juice
• 2 11-ounce cans mandarin oranges, in light syrup

Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit, with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Boil water in a teakettle, reduce the heat, and keep warm. Have a baking dish, at least 10 X 10 inches, and an 8-inch springform pan ready. Wrap the outside of the springform with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Crimp the foil around the top of the pan so that it is watertight. (Heavy-duty foil is wider and will wrap around the pan without a seam.)

In a food processor, process the cookies until finely ground. Mueasure out 1 cup of crumbs, and reserve the remainder in a storage container. Place the cup of crumbs in a small bowl, and stir in 1 teaspoon of egg substitute. Use your fingertips to distribute the egg substitute throughout the mixture. If the crumbs will not hold together, add the remaining egg substitute, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until they just hold together. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the 8-inch pan. Wipe out the processor bowl.

To make the cheesecake, place the cottage chesse in a large piece of cheesecloth. Draw up the sides of the cloth to form a "bag." Twist the top of the bag, and squeeze the cloth to expel liquid from the cheese. Wipe the liquid off the sids of the bag, then twist and squeeze until no more liquid come out of the cheese. Transfer the cheese to the processor bowl. Process for about 3 minutes or until completely smooth, scraping down the bowl a few times. Add the cream cheese to the processor. Pulse-process until the cheeses are well-blended. Add the sugar, and process for a few seconds to blend. Scrape down the bowl sides and process a few more seconds.

Scrape the batter into the prepared 8-inch pan. Put the cheesecake in the larger pan and place it on the oven rack. Pour boiling water into the larger pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Be careful not to splash water into the cheesecake.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cheesecake is set but a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will still come out with some moist cheese attached. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, lift it out of the water-bath, and let it cool on a wire rack. Cover the cake with foil, and chill overnight.

When ready to unmold the cake, run a damp knife around the edge of the cheesecake and then remove the springform sides. Press the reserved crumbs onto the side of the cheesecake.

For the topping, melt the apricot jam with the liquer (this can be done on the stove or in the microwave on high). Brush some of the warm glaze over the cheesecake top. Drain the oranges and pat them dry with paper towels. Arrange the fruit in slightly overlapping, concentric cirlces with the rounded edge of each slice parallel to the perimeter of the cheesecake, and with the slices tip to tip. Using a pastry brush, glaze the oranges with the remaining apricot glaze. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. This cake can be made 2 days in advance, or frozen (without the oranges) for up to 3 months.

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