“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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Blueberry Breakfast Bombs

As the days grow shorter, the weather increasingly brisk, and the calendar fills with holiday obligations, I find my time very limited and my energy levels waning. While I never claim to be a morning person, it seems much worse during the autumn and winter. It is only after many presses of the snooze button am I able to drag myself out of bed to face the never-ending “to do” lists that await me. My productivity levels on these days are highly dependent on my choice of breakfast fuel and ample amounts of caffeine. I have found if I am not careful I easily slip into the habit of just grabbing whatever is convenient at the local coffee shop or worse, skipping breakfast entirely; a habit which is completely detrimental to my energy level. However, with just a bit of prep on the weekend I discovered I can set myself up for a week of very sleepy, delayed trips out the door with breakfast in hand. This recipe I developed while on a round of an elimination diet. I was not happy with the recipes given to me and so I decided to make up my own within the restrictions set.  I call them Blueberry Breakfast Bombs. They are not like a traditional muffin that are light and fluffy and oh so sweet, completely lacking in protein and fiber; these morsels are dense and absolutely jam packed with protein and fiber, while also being gluten-free, dairy free, and contain no refined sugars (but with a hint of sweetness just the same—thank you dates!). They have become my go-to “grab and go” breakfast.  Just one does the trick! If I have a few minutes to spare, I may grab some Greek yogurt or an apple to enjoy with it too!

• Servings: 12
• Time: Prep 20 mins Bake 20 to 25 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

• Almond Flour                       2 cups
• Coconut Flour                       2 tablespoons
• Salt                                          ¼ teaspoon
• Baking Soda                          ½ teaspoon
• Ground Cinnamon               2 tablespoons
• Eggs                                         3
• Vanilla                                    1 tablespoon
• Coconut Oil, melted             ¼ cup
• Coconut Milk                         ¼ cup
• Dates, pitted & chopped      6
• Blueberries                            1 cup
• Walnuts, chopped                 ½ cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper muffin cups. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk together. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, melted & cooled coconut oil, and coconut milk until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour egg mixture into the well in center of flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add the chopped dates, blueberries, and chopped walnuts to the batter. Fold in gently into batter. Note: The batter will be very thick.
6. Once the batter is completely mixed scoop into the prepared muffin pan and liners. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 and smooth flat. The batter will not spread or rise much during baking.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
8. Cool and enjoy! Muffins keep for about a week if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. They also hold up well in the freezer.