Reduced calorie strawberry cream pie.

Strawberry Cream Pie

1 1/4 cups reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 teaspoon Equal® for Recipes or 3 packets Equal® sweetener or 2 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful™
1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes or 6 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/4 cup Equal® Spoonful™
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (.3-ounce) package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
3 1/2 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes or 12 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/2 cup Equal® Spoonful™
1 pint strawberries, hulled, sliced
8 tablespoons frozen light whipped topping (optional)

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, margarine and 1 teaspoon Equal® for Recipes or 2 packets Equal® sweetener or 2 tablespoon Equal® Spoonful™ in an 8-inch pie pan; pat evenly on bottom and side of pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool.
2. Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and 1 3/4 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes or 6 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/4 cup Equal® Spoonful™ in small bowl until fluffy; spread evenly in bottom of crust.
3. Mix cold water and cornstarch in small saucepan; heat to boiling, whisking constantly until thickened, about 1 minute. Add gelatin and 3 1/2 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes or 12 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/2 cup Equal® Spoonful™, whisking until gelatin is dissolved. Cool 10 minutes.
4. Arrange half of the strawberries over the cream cheese; spoon half the gelatin mixture over strawberries. Arrange remaining strawberries over pie and spoon remaining gelatin mixture over.
5. Refrigerate until pie is set and chilled, 1 to 2 hours. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Variations:

• Double Berry Pie - Arrange 1 cup blueberries over cream cheese in pie crust; spoon half the gelatin mixture over berries; spoon half the gelatin mixture over the berries; top with 1/2 pint sliced strawberries and spoon remaining gelatin mixture over.
• Strawberry Banana Pie - Substitute sugar-free strawberry-banana gelatin for the strawberry gelatin. Slice 1 small banana and arrange over cream cheese; spoon half the gelatin mixture over; top with 1/2 pint sliced strawberries and spoon remaining gelatin mixture over.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 238 cal., 5 g pro., 26 g carbo., 13 g fat, 16 mg chol., 297 mg sodium.

Food Exchanges: 1 bread, 1/2 fruit, 2 1/2 fat.

Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®. Originally submitted by M. Boysen-Rieger of Nebraska

Click for more information on the artificial sweetner Aspartame.