Carrot Cheesecake

Carrot Cheesecake - adapted from Kraft

• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1 1/2 c. homemade graham cracker crumbs
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

• 2 cups no-salt-added cottage cheese
• 6-8 tbs milk
• 2 (8 oz) pkg Neufchâtel cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sucanat
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c. shredded carrot   

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees.
2. Mix butter, crumbs, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; press into bottom of 9" springform pan.
3. Combine cottage cheese and milk in blender, blend.
4. Combine Neufchatel cheese and cottage cheese mixture in a bowl, beat. Add vanilla, sucanat, and 1 tsp cinnamon; continue beating. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Stir in carrots, spread over crust.
5. Follow Kraft's "Bake" step and/or see my notes below.

Notes: 

1. The cottage cheese substituted for sour cream and 8 oz of cream cheese and I can't taste the difference. I used it mainly because it has so much protein compared to cream cheese, plus there's less saturated fat.
2. I should have just pureed the carrots. That would have covered up the brown hue that the sucanat lends. An orange cheesecake would have been neat. =) 
3. I bake my cheesecakes with a 13x9 filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven, and I leave it in the oven to cool for an hour or more (with the door open) after it finishes cooking. I probably got those tips from Perfect Cheesecakes and Baking Cheesecakes, step by step.  Mine still crack even though that pan of water replaces a water bath which is supposed to prevent cracking. That really doesn't bother me because I'm not trying to impress others with how they look, but someday I might care. 

(I don't find this particularly attractive, but I'd rather not use someone else's picture.)