Pecan Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup firmly brown sugar dark packed
• 0.5 teaspoon butter flavoring 
• 12 ounce carton cottage cheese 1% low-fat
• 24 ounce process cream cheese product light softened
• 0.1 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 2  egg whites 
• 2  eggs 
• 8 ounce carton nonfat cream alternative sour
• 3 tablespoons pecans divided toasted finely chopped
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 0.5 cup sugar divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 0.3 cup vanilla wafer crumbs 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• wire rack
• blender
• hand mixer
• springform pan

Directions

1. Coat bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with vanilla wafer crumbs.
2. Place cottage cheese in container of an electric blender; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.
3. Add cream cheese and next 5 ingredients; cover and process until smooth.
4. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
5. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (2 to 4 minutes). Fold beaten egg white mixture and 2 tablespoons pecans into cream cheese mixture. Spoon into prepared pan.
6. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until almost set.
7. Remove from oven; increase temperature to 37
8. Combine sour cream and remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, stirring until smooth.
9. Spread mixture on top of cheesecake.
10. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill thoroughly.
12. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon pecans.