Peaches & Cream Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Well friends, it's officially happened. 

I am no longer in the cool kids club. 

Some of you that know me are probably rolling your eyes and thinking, "Well, Trisha, you were never exactly in the cool kids club to begin with.."  

To which I would agree. I guess I'll say that any semblance of coolness I once had is officially gone, over, and out. 

On Friday night, Adam and I walked to Food Truck Friday in South End. I had been dying to try some fish tacos from one of the food trucks there, and they did not disappoint. However, all the other cool kids in Charlotte had the same idea, and the lot was packed. We had to wait in line for over an hour, which left plenty of time for people watching. 

In fact, there was a group of youngish, coolish people in front of us. The women screamed repeatedly about things like puppies and 4th of July booze cruises and took instagram videos (OMG!) of themselves making weird noises with their mouths. 

I kind of wanted to gouge my eyes out. 

I don't like to think of myself as a judgmental kind of person, and I don't think I'm exactly an old married lady yet, but maybe I am. Because I was REALLY annoyed. 

And as I looked around, most of the women seemed to have their hair straightened and the latest lace shorts/maxi dress/bubble necklace/lululemon tank. I looked down at my thrifted black halter dress and 5-year-old flip flops and felt distinctly un-cool. 

As I looked around at the guys, I realized that most of them seemed like professional beer guzzlers who were quite full of themselves.

Then I looked over at my husband and thought, "THANK GOD!"

THANK GOD I don't have to do this schmoozing-competitive-young-professionals-mate-hunting-thing. And if coming home to you every night and eating cheesecake and going on bike rides and watching tv on the couch means I am old and married then I will take that any day.

Whoo, I'm glad I got that off my chest. You all are probably much cooler than me and have absolutely nothing to worry about.  But if you haven't tried it before, it's a nice feeling to be in a large crowd of people, look over at your mate, and realize just how lucky you are. 

Anyway, let's talk about this old married people's cheesecake.  This is a no-bake dessert, which is ideal for these blazing summer-time temperatures. Each bite feels decadent, even though the lower fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt don't necessarily make it so.  

You could use any kind of fruit for the topping. I chose peaches because they are in season right now, and their sweetness pairs well with the slight tartness in the cheesecake.  This is a relatively easy to assemble, but crowd pleasing dessert. You could pull it out as a grand finale at a dinner party, or just surprise that one person that makes your heart flutter. 

Peaches and Cream Greek Yogurt Cheesecake




Ingredients:


Crust:

Non-stick cooking spray


1 ½ cups graham cracker crumb

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly


¼ cup sugar


Filling:


2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (or 1 pack)


1 ½ tsp water


1 ½ pounds cream cheese, room temperature (or 3 8 oz packages)  (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)


1 ½ cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt


¾ cups sugar


2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (juice of about half a lemon)


1 tsp vanilla extract


½ tsp salt


Peach Topping:


4 peaches, skin peeled and sliced thinly


5 tablespoons sugar


Directions:


**Make sure to leave cream cheese out on the counter to soften for at least 2 hours before preparing.


Grease a 9 inch spring foam pan liberally with cooking spray


In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar, using your hands if necessary. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan, filling in any gaps.


Pour gelatin into a small heat-proof bowl and add 1 ½ tsp water, stirring until thick. Place a small saucepan over medium heat with 1 ½ inches of water. Place small bowl of gelatin into the sauce pan and stir continuously until gelatin is completely melted.


Using a food processor or electric beaters, mix cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sugar until smooth.  Add in lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Blend until smooth and continue blending as you add in the gelatin in a steady stream.


Pour cheesecake mixture into pan and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.


To assemble the peach topping, place peeled sliced peaches into a container with the sugar and allow to macerate for at least one hour before serving.


To serve, arrange peace slices on top of the cheesecake. Drizzle the extra peach juice on each slice!


Cheesecake recipe from Bon Appetit