I’ve never been a huge fan of classic cheesecake, to be honest. If we hadn’t already moved away from NYC, they sure would have kicked me out by now, headfirst. You know how a lot of things (read: sweet treats) fall into that category of perfectly acceptable in dire times but nothing you would waste stomach space on if given other alternatives? A distinction as important as any, if you’d ask my beloved mother a.k.a. our indisputable expert on all things sweet. Anyway, cheesecake falls into that category for me. But this one, everyone. This one has somehow sailed to the very top of my list of favorite desserts. It gracefully balances that precious line between sweetness and tartness, its consistency is nothing short of velvety AND it has a rather generous amount of nutrients packed into the mix. There’s no wobbliness, there’s no getting overly stuffed. There’s really just plenty of enjoyment, from the simple how-to all the way to licking the last bits off your spoon.
We have made this recipe many, many times by now. And as opposed to most of our sweet recipes, this one is more my creation than it is Michael’s. I actually made this for him the first time we had it, and it’s become our go-to vegan dessert ever since. We have tried making it in different sorts of pie forms/baking forms, and have arrived at the conclusion that individual ramekins are the most convenient. Now, as pretty as slices would look, they’re more or less impossible to nail since the “crust” is sticky and no-bake, meaning it won’t release from the edges at all. Eating from a ramekin, scooping up as you go, is what makes sense. However, if you’d rather make one big cheesecake, please go ahead. Just don’t get disappointed when you try to cut slices and you end up having to scrape up the crust. It’ll be just as good, no question about that at all, but appearance wise it’ll be more of a blob on your plate. But enough about such superficialities. The next time you want to make a nice dessert – whether for a cozy friday night in front of the TV or for a fancy dinner party – this is what you want. Can’t wait to hear what you’ll think about it.
För recept på svenska, klicka här: Vegansk citroncheesecake
Makes 10 individual ramekins (7-8 cm) or one (1) 24 cm pie form
Filling:
6 dl (360 g) raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours (or quick-soaked*)
2 1/2 dl (250 g) lemon juice (equals 3-4 big lemons)
Zest from 2 lemons
3/4 dl (~70 g) coconut oil, melted
3 dl (300 g) coconut milk
1 dl (140 g) syrup (maple or ljus sirap)
Crust:
4 dl (185 g) walnuts
3 dl (180 g) dates
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
- Drain the cashews and place in a food processor or a large bowl (if using a stick blender) with the remaining ingredients for the filling. Blend until silky smooth. Set aside. If using a food processor, pour the filling into a bowl. You’ll need the food processor again for step 2.
- Place walnuts, dates and vanilla powder in a food processor. Blend until it comes together and forms a quite sticky “dough”.
- Using your fingers, press out the crust in the ramekins. You want to cover the bottom, as well as go up the sides (but aim for a thin layer). If using a spring form instead, follow the same procedure – but be aware that the crust will stick to the sides so cutting nice-looking slices will be difficult (they’ll taste just as good though).
- Divide the filling evenly, and place ramekins/spring form in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours, in order to firm up. If you end up with leftovers, store in the freezer and just take out to thaw for about an hour before eating.
*Quick-soaking: place the cashews in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let sit, uncovered, for 30-60 min before draining and using as per instructions.