driving me bananas

back at home with ashley. testing, tasting, trashing, tempting. this week i gave homemade cheesecake my best effort. much to my surprise, it was not difficult. time consuming, yes. challenging, no. in lieu of the traditional, i embraced my inner child and chose a banana split cake. for the presentation, i channeled old school diner with syrup dispensers and plaid paper bowls purchased from a local restaurant supply store.

[banana split cheesecake]

crust

one cup graham cracker crumbs

two tablespoons sugar

one tablespoon butter melted

cooking spray

filing

three blocks of fat-free cream cheese, softened

one block one third less fat cream cheese, softened

one carton low fat sour cream

one and a half cups sugar

one and a half cups mashed, ripe bananas

three tablespoons all-purpose flour

two teaspoons vanilla

four large eggs

toppings

chocolate syrup

caramel syrup

sprinkles

chopped pecans

whatever your inner child desires!

preheat oven to 325 degrees. to prepare crust, combine first three ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. press into bottom of springform pan [or individual pans as i did] coated with cooking spray. to prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed until smooth. add sugar, banana, flour and vanilla. beat well. add eggs one at a time. pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. bake at 325 degrees for one hour and ten minutes or until almost set. cool to room temperature. cover and chill for at least eight hours. add toppings. enjoy!