No biscuit or flour Cheesecake base please

[NickW]

Hi folks

My wife is following a diet that allows unlimited consumption of low fat items such as fromage frais, Quark and eggs (but no sugar! - Splenda works though, except for meringue) - and has a cheesecake recipe which has no base whatsoever - which is OK, but doesn't quite work for me.
Is there any base I can make that has no biscuit crumbs, no flour, definitely no fat? I was thinking something in tofu perhaps.....

I can't knock the diet - she's on it and I have lost 16 pounds in 4 weeks........

[Morganna]

Use toasted then finely chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts mixed with a little butter and some sugar/splenda, press into the bottom of the pan. :)

[xtal]

Nuts are usually quite high in fat, with the exception of walnuts, which are lower.

[Morganna]

Ahh, I missed the "definitely no fat" comment. Though the fat in nuts is good, mono unsaturated fat, which is actually necessary for us to consume some of every day. :)

[coll]

I never put a base on my cheesecake, not that it's dietetic in the least.

[dolores]

One of my favorite cheesecakes has no base.

I would be aghast if I were to bite into a cheesecake with a tofu base.

NickW, what is your objection to not having a base? Alternatively, can't you put a base and she not eat it? Or just spray some aerosol shortening and sprinkle some panko crumbs mixed with sugar?

Tofu base..........brrrrrrrrr.

[NickW]

I guess we could put a base on and she not eat it, but then, as I'm piggy backing on her diet and losing weight so effortlessly, I'm kind of loathe to do that. I was just hoping that someone somewhere would have a low calorie alternative to shortbread or biscuit crumb bases.

[chowser]

I don't understand the diet--how can it be low fat but have unlimited eggs and fromage frais? Tofu is also is not non-fat. Half of the calories come from fat. Other than what you've listed above, what else can you use, types of food? Is oatmeal or steel cut oatmeal allowed? If so, maybe a baked oatmeal idea would work.

[NickW]

I got waylaid and haven't been back.
We get Very Low Fat Fromage Frais and 0% yoghurt, with VLF Quark, you can make a cheesecake with very few calories. She can have pastry and things with fat, but it cuts down on her allowance of other high calorie foodstuffs like wine! Nuts are wonderful but bad from a calorie point of view. I guess tofu is out, then, perhaps I should just get used to cheesecake without the base.......

[chowser]

I've made a meringue base for a chocolate mousse cake from Bon Appetit that was really good. It uses hazelnuts but I'm sure you can leave it out. You should be able to substitute splenda for sugar but I've never done it. Maybe someone who bakes with splenda could help. It has a tablespoon of flour, but not bad.

6 Tab. Powdered sugar
1 Tab. All purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 Tab. Sugar

FOR MERINGUE:
Preheat oven to 300 deg. Remove sides from springform pan; cover bottom with parchment paper round (do not attach sides). Mix powdered sugar and flour in processor. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3 Tab. Sugar, beating until stiff, not dry. Fold in powdered sugar mixture. Spoon into bag fitted with 3/8 inch plain round tip. Starting in the center of parchment round, pipe continuous spiral of meringue to cover. Place pan with meringue on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat until golden but slightly soft to touch, about 20 minutes longer. Cut around meringue to loosen. Transfer meringue on parchment rack to cool completely (will be crisp).