by Ted Goldberg

Luscious desserts and low-carb diets typically do not mix. Sugar is, of course, a carbohydrate. How can you have something "sweet" without using sugar?

Those of us who cook know that using artificial sweeteners changes the recipe drastically. Substances like saccharin have less "bulk" than straight sugar. So trying to bake a sugar-free cake can be very difficult.

But even sugar-free cakes are not low-carb desserts. Flour is also a carbohydrate. Eggs, milk and cheese are allowed on your low-carb diet. But sugar and flour are not. So, what should you do?

How about cheesecake?

Typically, New York style cheesecake is made with heavy cream, cream cheese, eggs and additional egg yolks to add richness and a smooth consistency. Lemons, strawberries or chocolate shavings may be added for flavor. None of those ingredients are carbs, but of course, most recipes call for sugar and lots of it.

Once you add the carbs from the graham cracker crust, you have about 25 grams of carbohydrates in a 3.5 ounce serving. That's a pretty small slice. But cheesecakes can be low-carb desserts, if they are properly prepared, without the sugar and crust.