Orange Chiffon cheesecake & Brandy Saffron Cheesecake

Orange Chiffon cheesecake & Brandy Saffron Cheesecake
Orange Chiffon Cheesecake
                                   (can be made diabetic safe as well)
               (doesn't taste orange, it's my regular cheesecake)
         Crust
  3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  l 1/2 sticks  (3/4 cup) margarine (I use low calorie margarine)
  you can add sugar to this if you want, but it isn't necessary
         Filling
   l cup orange juice*
   l envelope unflavored gelatin ( or l tsp)
   l2 oz. low calorie cream cheese
   l cup low fat ricotta cheese
   l2 packets of equal or 1/2 cup of sugar substitute
   2 cups cool whip ( or sweetened whipped cream)*
   directions-       
Crust --spray 9" spring form pan or pie plate tin with non stick spray or grease the pan with margarine.   mix the ingredients and press over bottom and 1/2 up the side . Bake approx. 8-10 minutes. cool.  When done, it changes color slightly and is more of a solid crust.
 Filling--Heat the Orange Juice in small pan, sprinkle gelatin over the juice and let soften l minute.  Heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves-about 3 minutes.
 Then blend the cream cheese and ricotta cheese in a large bowl until smooth.  stir in the equal or sugar substitute.  Add the gelatin mix to the cheese mixture, blend until smooth. Fold in the cool whip or whipped cream and spread into crust. Chill 6 hours in the refrigerator.
  * Brandy Saffron Cheesecake- the same with these exceptions: the cool whip or whipped cream is omitted and the brandy saffron cream is used in it's place.
Brandy Saffron Cream-worth trying just for the cream- omg-really good-       l cup of heavy cream
                       a nice pinch of saffron-20-30 strands
                      l shot of good brandy (vsop cognac is best)
                      4  individual packs of equal or sugar substitute
Whip the cream until almost done , add the equal, when whipped completely, add the brandy all at once, whip just a bit more to mix in and stop. then fold into the other cheese mixture as you would in the above recipe.  ( If your guest don't drink alcohol, you can cook the shot in a small pan until it reduces by 1/2 and then all the alcohol will be burned off)Comes out a little yellow with some red flecks from the saffron , really good.
     can be used by itself as a dessert topping that's amazing, with berries etc.,; or is great as a substitute for the sweetened whipped cream ( or cool whip) in the above recipe.