Raw "Cheese"cake

Alright...so it's not exactly baking.
And really, my passion is vegan baking... you know with heat... in an oven.
But this raw treat is so delicious, natural, beautiful and healthy....I had to put it on my baking blog.

This is an early foray for me into raw desserts.  My sister in law eats a raw diet and is always touting its health benefits.  She tells me how it makes her feel so great, and with my own eyes, I have seen how beautiful it makes her look.
The power of natural food.  Sign me up.

A very close friend of mine who is health conscious, but neither vegan or raw, is obsessed with a raw cheesecake that she buys at our local health food store.
She loves it so much, she has been known to eat a slice for dinner.

She has asked me several times to recreate it, and with her in mind, here is the first of many raw desserts to come. 
For those who are not familiar with raw eating, it is simply, as the name implies, food in their natural state, uncooked.  Cheesecake is a tongue in cheek name, because of course there is no cheese.  It is a rich, cool cream that is made "cheesy" by blending raw nuts with a few other ingredients. Please note though, that the nuts need to soak for 1 to 4 hours, so plan ahead for this.  Otherwise, the dessert assembles in no time, and then just needs some freezer time to set.
Make some and your friends will be wildly impressed.   I promise, it is amazing!
Raw is a wonderful thing.

Raw "Cheese"cake

I chose to make these in individual cupcake tins to form "mini" cakes.  It is also perfect to use a pie tin or a 9 inch spring form pan.  Your choice.

Sprinkle a little bit of unsweetened shredded coconut into the bottom of whichever pan you choose to use.  It adds another delicious flavor but also stops the crust from sticking to the bottom.

For the crust:

In a food processor or high speed blender combine:

2 cups raw almonds

3/4 cup pitted dates (I like medjool)

1 teaspoon agave 

Blend together until a thick paste like consistency forms and the nuts are ground.

Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of your pan and place in the freezer while you assemble the filling.

The filling:
In a food processor or high speed blender combine:
3 cups of raw cashews soaked for 1-4 hours and then drained
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of water
1/2 - 3/4 cup agave
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon organic vanilla

Process the ingredients until smooth, creamy and fluffy.
Pour the ingredients over the prepared crust and give the pan a few gentle taps to get the air bubbles out.  Place the cake in the freezer and allow to set.
When you are ready to serve it, plate it and then move it to the refrigerator and allow it to defrost. Garnish with some fresh berries of your choice.  
Serve... and let the praise wash over you.  Yum!



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