“Cheesecake” with Meyer Lemon Curd & Raspberries

Recipe testing is one of those things that can either go really well or really sideways, depending on the day and the experiment. Haha 🙂 Regardless, I really enjoy playing around with food and trying out new things. Sometimes I test recipes out of necessity for work, to clean out the cupboards, or sometimes for health. This recipe was the result of trying to create a dessert that was allergen free and low inflammatory. This “cheesecake” is dairy free, refined sugar free, soy free, and gluten free. It is also insanely delicious and just a little bit is perfectly satisfying and indulgent! It isn’t a difficult recipe, but has a lot of elements and does require some planning. Make sure you have everything started and the cashews soaking the day before you actually want to eat this delicious dessert! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy baking!

• Servings: 12
• Time: Prep 1 hour Chill 2 hours
• Difficulty: Medium
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Ingredients

Crust

• Almond Flour                                        ¾ cup
• Coconut Flour                                        1 tablespoon
• Salt                                                            pinch
• Flax Seed Meal                                       1 ½ tablespoons
• Shredded Coconut, unsweetened       ¼ cup
• Coconut Oil, melted                               ¼ cup

“Cheesecake” Filling

• Raw Cashews                                         2 cups
• Almond Coconut Milk                          as needed
• Coconut Cream                                      ¾ cup
• Vanilla                                                     1 teaspoon
• Honey                                                      1 tablespoon

Meyer Lemon Curd

• Meyer Lemon Juice                               ½ cup
• Whole Eggs                                             2 each
• Egg Yolks                                                 2 each
• Honey                                                      3 tablespoons
• Salt                                                           pinch
• Coconut Oil                                            1/3 cup

Raspberry Topping

• Fresh Raspberries, washed                1 container

Directions

To Make the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, flax seed meal, and unsweetened shredded coconut. Stir the ingredients together.
3. In a small microwave container melt the coconut oil.
4. Add the melted coconut oil to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Using a fork stir everything together until just combined and resembling wet sand.
5. Using your hand, gently press the crust mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of a pie pan.
6. Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool complete.
8. Once the crust is cooled, cover and set aside for use the next day once the filling is ready.

To Make the Meyer Lemon Curd

1. Begin by measuring out all your ingredients for the curd separately and setting them aside.
2. Set up a double boiler next. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a gentle boil then reduce the heat slightly. Place a bowl on top of the pot of water. It should be a nice fit and sit well on top of the pot of water trapping the steam in without being too wobbly.
3. Place the Meyer lemon juice, whole eggs, egg yolks, and honey into the bowl on top of the double boiler.
4. As the mixture heats, it will begin to thicken and cook the eggs through. Whisk mixture constantly or you will end up with scrambled eggs. It should be done gently with constant stirring until it reaches 135 degrees F. Safety first!
5. Turn off the pot of water and remove the bowl from the heat.
6. Add the pinch of salt and coconut oil. Gently whisk the mixture together until the coconut oil is thoroughly incorporated and smooth.
7. Place the bowl of lemon curd into the refrigerator to cool overnight.

To Make the Filling & Finish the “Cheesecake”

1. Measure raw cashews into a container. Make sure there is a little bit of extra room for the cashews to expand as they soak. Cover the raw cashews with your favorite almond milk. I like to use Almond Breeze’s Almond Coconut Blend Original Unsweetened. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator. You can also use water if you’d prefer, but I recommend using the opportunity to impart extra flavor whenever possible!
2. Soak the cashews overnight.
3. The next day remove cashews from the refrigerator. Pour off the little extra almond milk that didn’t get soaked up.
4. Combine coconut cream, vanilla, and honey with the soaked cashews. In a blender or food processor (or with an immersion blender) puree the cashews and coconut cream until completely smooth.
5. Scrape down the sides and continue blending to make sure that the entire mixture is smooth.
6. Next, pour the “cheesecake” filling into the cooled crust and smooth out evenly.
7. Set “cheesecake” into refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
8. Once the “cheesecake” is slightly firm spread the lemon curd across the top and cover with fresh raspberries.
9. Return the finished “cheesecake” to the refrigerator to finish setting for at least another hour.
10. When thoroughly chilled and set, slice the “cheesecake” into pieces and enjoy!!!

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Ginger Molasses Cookies

I woke up this morning well before my alarm was due to go off and with a running list of things I needed to get done before Thanksgiving tomorrow, both for at work and at home. However, more than anything I had the urge to bake something. I wanted to bake something for my kitchen crew who come in each day with a smile on their face, work hard (particularly during these busy holiday weeks) and do it with all their heart. They are truly a great and passionate team and for that I am thankful. Seeing as Thanksgiving is all about showing gratitude, this morning it was important to me let the “to do” lists wait and get something working for my crew. My favorite way to show my appreciation is with a lovingly baked food. Seeing that I have made 140 pies in the past week I wanted a change of pace…I am all pied out. Ginger Molasses cookies are perfect! These cookies are quick, they taste of the season (and will make your house smell fantastic too), and requires very little effort or ingredients to make. Did I mention they also happen to be vegan?

I hope you all find you are surrounded by love, laughter, and a metric ton of delicious eats this holiday! 🙂 Happy baking and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

• Servings: 24
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour                 2 cups
• Baking Soda                          2 teaspoons
• Salt                                         ½ teaspoon
• Ground Ginger                     1 tablespoon
• Ground Cinnamon               1 teaspoon
• Ground Cardamom              a dash (optional)
• Brown Sugar, packed           1 cup
• Vegetable Oil                         ½ cup
• Molasses                                ¼ cup
• Water                                     ¼ cup (a touch more if dough is too dry)
• Granulated Sugar                 ¼ cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set out two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and brown sugar. Mix well.
3. To the dry ingredients add the oil, molasses, and water. **I recommend measuring the oil first in the measuring cup and then the molasses in same measuring cup after, so that it slides right out!**
4. Mix all the ingredients together until it forms a firm, but slightly sticky dough.
5. Wet your hands lightly and shape the dough into 24 balls.
6. Place granulated sugar in a small bowl or plate. Roll each ball in sugar.
7. Place cookie dough balls on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart from each other.
8. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand on the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be soft when warm, but firm up as they cool.
9. Enjoy or store in an airtight container to keep soft and delicious. They go well with some eggnog!

S’more Bars

The Pacific Northwest is burning. Wildfires are raging and ravaging my beloved state and the ones adjacent, turning the air into a thick smog barely suitable for breathing. It is not the way one would hope to end the summer season. Late summer evenings are meant to be spent lingering near campfires and cherishing the smell of smoke on our clothes and the taste of a scorched marshmallow. For now, however, the campfires are on hold. But, does it mean the s’mores have to be on hold too?

No. There is another way. If you don’t mind the fact that the marshmallows aren’t flaming hot, s’more bars are just the solution. These delicious morsels are the perfect way to curb your craving until you find yourself under the starry sky, alongside a campfire warm s’more in hand.

• Servings: 48
• Time: Prep 10 mins Chill 1 hr
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 1 package graham crackers (about 10 crackers)
• 12 ounces chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark—your choice!)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
• 2 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and break into small bite size pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker pieces and mini marshmallows.
4. In a separate microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter. Heat for 30 second intervals and stir well after each heating until mixture is completely melted and smooth. Be careful not to overheat the mixture of the chocolate will scorch or seize and harden.
5. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the graham crackers and marshmallows and mix completely with a wooden spoon.
6. Spread the s’more mixture into the greased 9 x 13 inch pan using the wooden spoon. Press out evenly. Chill in refrigerator until the bars are firm, about 1 hour.
7. Cut the bars into 6 by 8 rows using a sharp knife.
8. Enjoy or wrap with plastic and save for later!