Vegan Lemon and Kiwi Cheese Cake

By á-77268

A delightfully refreshing dessert perfect for a afternoon tea party or a zesty finish to a casual dinner with friends.

You can’t rush perfection and this dessert truly needs time to set. Once the filling has been mixed up and poured on the crust it will need the full time to set into a cheese cake texture. The soaked cashews gives a beautiful creamy texture and the fresh lemon a zesty finish.

For this recipe be sure to use coconut cream not milk. Coconut cream differs from coconut milk in that it contains less water and more coconut, so it has a thicker, richer texture. Its ratio is 1 part water to 4 parts coconut, while the milk’s ratio is 1 part water to 1 part coconut.

Coconut cream has a relatively high fiber content in a small serving size, and it’s also a rich source of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and the essential minerals iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. B vitamins help form red blood cells and turn calories from food into usable energy; they also prevent anemia. Vitamins C and E are both antioxidants: C encourages tissue growth and repair, and E protects healthy tissues from free radical damage. Essential minerals are minerals your body can’t produce on its own, and they work to encourage better immune function and disease prevention.

You can buy coconut cream but if you can’t find it, open a tin of coconut milk and let stand in the fridge over night. The firm solid that forms on top of the milk is the coconut cream. Skim that off and voila, you have coconut cream.

As always, I was thinking of alternatives to this already perfect sweet treat. Try replacing the lemon juice and zest with strawberry and rhubarb and include some carob buttons to the crust for a hint of chocolate. Finish that version with drizzled melted carob and a dusting of coconut flour. Ok sold, this will have to be my next dessert I think!

There are 5g net carbs, 3.2g protein and 7 Weight Watchers points per 1/10 of the cake.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Almonds
• 12 dates pitted
• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cashews soaked for 4-8 hours and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup Honey or agave nectar
• 2 lemons freshly squeezed
• 2 lemons zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• seesalt pinch
• 1/2 cup coconut oil liquefied
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 kiwis peeled and thinly sliced

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from not-too-sweet.com

Preparation

Step 1

Add nuts, cinnamon and dates to food processor and process.

Press nut-date mixture into a round 7" springform pan lined with parchment paper.

Place cashews, coconut cream, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and sea salt in the food processor and blend.

Add the coconut oil last while the processor is running.

Puree the mixture a few minutes until the cashews are completely broken down and you get a completely smooth, creamy mixture.

Taste and add agave (optional) to suit your needs.

Pour filling onto crust and scatter kiwis on top.

Refrigerate at least 8 hours until cheesecake consistency.

http://www.not-too-sweet.com/vegan-lemon-and-kiwi-cheese-cake/