The great cheesecake experiment

Christmas dinner this year will be absolutely non-traditional. Our exchange student has invitations for brunch and dinner on the 25th, so we'll celebrate today (I've promised my husband's favorite, coq au vin for our dinner on the 25th.). After a party at the neighbors ("bring your cello, violin and something to drink"), we'll grill up some salmon, potatoes and broccoli and polish it off with cheesecake. Ah, cheesecake, but how shall I make it? Conventional is out, with its milk, eggs and wheat, so it'll have to be an alternative. Since I couldn't decide between a soy-based cream cheese recipe and a tofu-based recipe ("Wait, aren't they both tofu, Mom?"), I made both, adding some Irish cream syrup (more intense flavor than the real item, which Santa is hoping to find with his snack tonight) and a handful or two of chocolate chips. The crust is the same for both, made from Newman's wheat-free chocolate sandwich cookies, sugar and melted butter whizzed together in the food processor.

Which means we'll all have to have at least two slices of cheesecake for dinner tonight. At least.