No-bake Cheesecake

Well, I don't remember it being a full month since my last blog but apparently it has been. We had a great cooking school class in March and I also went to New Orleans for the first time. I have some terrific recipes that I will be sharing with you in the upcoming month. Oh and I have a new computer - I can't figure out how to cut and paste from Word to my blog. Ugh! :)

On to this blog, have you ever wanted a piece of cheesecake but didn't want to feel guilty about the calories that come with a New York Cheesecake? Well, this light and fluffy delight comes from my mom who I am fairly certain picked up from her mom. This no-bake cheesecake is my oldest daughter's favorite cakes. She turned 20 on March 11th so I made it for her when she was recently home for Spring Break.

Quick Tips: I typically place my tips or hints at the end of the recipe but you need to know these tips before getting started, unless of course you like sipping your cheesecake through a straw. Hmmm, possibly another recipe for a drink is in here somewhere - cheesecake martini maybe?

Tip 1: Place the Milnot in the refrigerator at least 5 hours before you whip it.
Tip 2: The lemon Jell-O and boiling water need to cool completely before you combine it with the cream cheese and whipped Milnot.

INGREDIENTS
30 graham crackers (honey flavored) (1 1/2 packages)
1 stick of melted butter or a 1/4 cup
1 pkg. of lemon Jell-O
1 c. boiling water
8 oz. cream cheese (use the light version if you are watching the waist line - which by the by, I have lost almost 10 pounds for the Hawaii trip - yeah!) anyway
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can chilled Milnot - whip till it stands in peaks

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Crush the graham crackers, add the melted butter and mix together. Save about 5 heaping Tbls. of crumbs for the top. Press the remaining graham cracker mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Mix the lemon Jell-O and boiling water. Leave to cool.

In a large glass or metal bowl (NOT plastic), whip the chilled can of Milnot until it stands in peaks. Do this first when the beaters are clean.

Start beating the cream cheese in a large bowl. Add 1 c. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until smooth and creamy. About 3 minutes.

Pour and blend Jell-O slowly with the cream cheese mixture. Next, fold in the whipped Milnot. Pour in to the prepared pan of graham crackers. I like to let the cake chill for about 15 minutes before I sprinkle the reserved graham crackers on the top. Chill for another 3 to 5 hours or until set.

Enjoy!