Baked 'coconut cream' cheesecakes

More coconut cream concoctions...this stuff is totally amazing, please don’t roll you eyes at me as I go off on one again!  Try it first...please (if only to shut me up!!)

Ok, so now we've tried it as a creamy whipped topping, as a thick mouse, in a cream egg and as a chilled cheesecake. So how about cooking it?

Yes, you can bake this stuff too!!

My initial reason for doing this was to see whether I could make a light and not too thick mix and then bake it instead of freezing it and still be able to take it out of a pudding mold (i.e muffin case). Without baking these little beauties there would have been no way that I would have been able to remove them...that would have been an absolute mess!

It worked perfectly since the short baking time seals the edges and allows them to pull away from the muffin case or whatever silicone mold you use. Since the edges pull away I would suggest that you would also be fine with metal cake pans- just edge round using a knife to lever them out.

You can add any mix-ins you choose, I tried out a few options but creativity is virtually endless.  I would suggest serving these cheesecakes hot, just for a change and to make the most of the ‘just baked’ feel.

Oh, before I go....here is one more coconut cream idea... a chocolate cookie cream sandwich that I posted over here at the Real Food Source. I based the recipe on my popular chocolate quinoa cookies.

Recipe: Baked coconut cream cheesecakes

Makes 3-4 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients:

2/3 cup soy yoghurt (other yoghurts would probably work well)

3 tbs fine coconut flour

Stevia or syrup of choice to taste

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping mix-in options

2 tsp cocoa powder

Crushed frozen raspberries (frozen are easier to handle to create a mottled not blended look)

Blueberries (frozen are best to avoid burning during baking

Base: I used a variant of my breakfast cookie oat base without the choc chunks, or you could use a smoosh bar style base. Or go for no base at all!

Method

Combine all cheesecake ingredients in a small bowl and stir together well to from a thick paste. Add mix ins as necessary.

Press chosen base mix (if using) in the bottom of mini muffins or cupcake tins (use silicone for ease of removal) and then top with the cheesecake mix  and toppings. Bake for 5-10 mins at 180ºC just until the edges have baked and sealed and the mixture is heated through, no need to be golden. The baking will seal the edges and make for an easy removal.

Serve hot or cold.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

‘Magic’ dairy free cream topping... 2 minutes!

Ok, so maybe this topping isn’t actually magic.....but it is almost!

2 base ingredients, 2 minutes and almost infinite variations...plus it’s healthy and allergy friendly.

Seriously could you really ask for any more magic?

Since making the discovery a few weeks ago, I have hinted at this recipe and posted a few of it’s variations for it’s use in recent posts but I figured it was time to give it the attention it deserved and write it’s own dedicated post. It’s all about the topping...and everyone loves a good topping!

As mentioned back in this post, the original idea to use coconut flour to make coconut cream was not my own, The Dairy Free Queen regularly mixes it up into a coconut cream. However I had even greater success when I took this idea to another level and combined it with yoghurt (either dairy or non-dairy works fine- I typically use soy as it’s most readily available to me). It makes the cream super smooth and thick also visually less lumpy (though it still tastes great simply mixed with non-dairy milk as per the original method).

The two base ingredients are coconut flour and yoghurt but there are various additions to tweak it. It has a mild coconut flavour which can easily be disguised with other mix-ins. I have provide two cream options below, but of course there are varying degrees of 'thickness' in between depending on your desired use.  It freezes well and makes an amazing chilled cheese cake! You can also bake it. I made a mini baked cheesecake recipe which I will try and post later this week, though to be honest the unbaked version as in the green smoothie cheesecake is amazing...and may possibly be my preference over baked!

Check out the coconut cream recipes so far below...and then go and make your own. So quick and easy, if you don’t already have coconut flour this is definitely worth buying some for (note I have tried with other flours such as almond and it doesn’t work...I have warned you!)

Chocolate buckwheat bake

Healthy Cadbury's Eggs

Creamy Dark chocolate shake

Green Smoothie Peppermint Cheesecake

Recipe: Cream topping

Makes approx ¾ cup

Thin whippy topping Ingredients:

1/4 cup fine coconut flour

1/3  cup non-dairy milk

1-2 tbs yoghurt of choice

Stevia or syrup to taste

A few drops vanilla extract- optional

OR

Thicker  ‘clotted cream’ style topping ingredients:

½ cup yoghurt (I use soy)

2 tbs fine coconut flour

Stevia or syrup to taste

A few drops vanilla extract- optional

(other flavours also optional)

Method

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir together well. Let sit for a few seconds and test the consistency (coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid), add more wet or dry ingredients as needed

Sneak preview of baked cheesecakes...coming soon!

 
For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

'Green Smoothie' peppermint cheesecake

I wasn't planning to post a recipe today (well actually I was since yesterdays post was supposed to be today but my fingers got clumsy and hit 'publish' and not 'schedule'...oops!)

But that's ok cos I accidentally came up with a little gem of a recipe that relates to yesterday's recipe and is oh so green I had to share it in the final run up to St Patricks Day!

P.S...I apologies now for the overuse of the word 'exciting' and the number of !!!! and ... you'll see in this post.

This receipt is indulgent whist being ridiculously healthy... I mean totally ridiculously healthy- so much healthier than you'd imagine when tasting a bite! Even my mum was wide eyed at how good it was and she won't go near my green smoothies! :-)

Just quickly scroll down now and take a look at the ingredients list!

I have been playing around with coconut flour and yoghurt combos a lot these last few days....such a revelation of simplicity and so versatile. I was almost dancing around the kitchen when I took this cheesecake out of the freezer, allowed it to thaw out and dove in...the texture is amazing- so soft and creamy!!

I am so excited to have created a vegan cheesecake that doesn't rely on tofu or cashews! Whoop whoop!

I have a few more experiments along these lines to bring your way soon, all equally exciting (in my opinion) but this will have to keep you going for now. Just promise me this....next time you make a green smoothie, reserve a little bit to make this!! I made a mini cheesecake as I wasn't sure if it was going to be a success or disaster, but you could easily make 3 or 4 times the amount and make a regular sized cheesecake. It really is good enough for dessert I promise (although it might freak out your dinner guests!) You can also cheat and use extra sweetener if you need to.

Right...gotta go, so much to do and so little time. All the taste testing I've been talking about that has largely sabotaged my '6 pack challenge' these last few weeks is soon to be coming to an exciting conclusion! Phew- there really is only so many dried fruits and nuts a girl can consume, so it's a good thing I had this little beauty and a big glass of the Super Green smoothie to hand for my post-work out lunch today!

Recipe: 'Green Smoothie' peppermint cheesecake

Serves 2 (or one hungry person!)

Ingredients:

3 tbs leftover green smoothie (I used this recipe)
1 tbs fine coconut flour
3 tbs vegan yoghurt (I used soy) Note: for non vegans this does also work with regular plain yoghurt
1 tbs white chia seeds (plus more for topping if desired)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
4 drops pure stevia (or to taste)

Cheesecake base: I used some leftover 'smoosh bar' style mix from one of my testing samples. Basically its a mixture of dates, almonds and raw cacao nibs. You can use any raw crust mixture.

Method:

Mix everything together very well to form a smooth thick paste with no lumps of flour.

Press the cheese cake base into the bottom of a large silicone muffin case or a mini pie dish with removal base/sides (approx 8cm wide). Note: it may be hard to remove the cheesecake otherwise.

Spoon the cheesecake mix on top of the crust and firmly smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon. add chia seeds (or other decoration) is desired- or you can add these at the time of serving.

Freeze the cheese cake for a minimum of one hour. To serve remove from the case whilst still solid (it should peel away easily). Allow to defrost on a serving plate at room temperature for at least 30 mins.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Cheesecakes Galore!

I’ve been going cheesecake crazy! Once I’d made the turtle cheesecake and realise it tasted so good…I simply couldn’t resist having a play with a few more flavours. So here you get a super sized post with:

Orange glazed cheesecake

Double strawberry cheesecake

Lemon chocolate mini cheesecakes

I figured since cheesecake was such a  summery dessert I’d get this post in whilst the sun was still here…no doubt it will hide away again soon, at least here in England (or we might be lucky like last year and have an October heat wave!)

So, you might have spied this little teaser a few days ago in celebratory Blog Birthday post! I shared that cake with my family (though I was sorely tempted to eat it all myself) the other two cheesecakes arrived shortly after.

I know that not everyone chooses to or can eat soy, so I am working on a soy free/cream cheese free version…watch this space. But until then you have another variation of the turtle recipe, although this time I added some polenta and nuts to the base to give it a little oomph. Play around with the base ingredients however you wish…it won’t mind!

Recipe: Cheesecake variations

Makes one 8” or two 4” pans (or 8-12 mini muffins cases)

Ingredients- cheesecake base

½ cup oats*

3tbs polenta

1 tbs finely crushed nuts

1tbs buckwheat flour (other flours would probably be fine too)

1 tbs ground flax/chia

Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to taste (optional)

2 tbs cocoa powder

2 tbs agave or maple syrup (plus a pinch of stevia for optional extra sweetness)

Approx. ¼ cup vegan yoghurt (or regular yoghurt for non vegan)

Ingredients- cheesecake

1 package of silken tofu (I used Mori Nu)

½ cup cashew butter (or an mild light coloured creamy nut butter)

1/3 cup agave plus ¼ tsp pure stevia (add extra to taste if desired)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange or lemon extract (for the citrus cakes only)

1 tbs orange or lemon zest (optional for the citrus cakes only)

1 tbs ground chia (I used white chia for a lighter colour but it’s not necessary)

Toppings:

Chia jam (see note) and strawberries

Sugar free marmalade glaze

Dark chocolate drops and extra citrus zest

Method

For the base, mix all ingredients together until you have a soft sticky ball of dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased cake pan (use one with a removal bottom for ease later on).

For the cheesecake, blitz all the ingredients together in a blender/food processor (I used my Thermomix) and then pour over the base layer in the cake pan(s). Add the sprinkling of choc chips and zest across the top of the batter (for the choc drop version).

Bake the cheesecakes for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the tins ( the mini muffins took 15 minutes and my 4” tins took just under 20 minutes) Once just golden and a skewer come away clean they are ready- note they may be puffed up when you take them out of the oven (mine were which surprised me!) It’s ok they settle down flat again as they cool.

Chill for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Once chilled add the citrus glaze or chia jam and strawberries, if using, prior to serving.

Note: to make chia jam, first seen on these pancakes, simple mash or blend a large handful of strawberries and then lix through chia seeds and a little extra agave if needed. Wait for the chia seeds to thicken the ‘jam’ mixture before using.

* for further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Happy Birthday…to Including Cake!

My blog is now one year old…whoop!

Actually I tell a lie, today is actually 1 year+1 week as it was this time last week that I actually reached the milestone but I was away camping without any form of internet (and barely a phone signal!) and so could not do anything to celebrate at the time.

So, to celebrate, albeit a little belatedly (belated birthdays are good right, cos they are always unexpected!) A cake….. of the cheesecake variety to follow the theme of my deliciously successful turtle cheesecake.

A few other fruity friends wanted to help out…but alas they couldn’t all fit on the top of the cake.

well it made the big kid in me smile!

So a whole year…wow… I could never have imagined making it this far or where is would lead, all the potential it has thrown my way and all the beliefs it has stirred in my soul.

Well I’m not stopping now and I just hope that over the next year (and beyond) this can become more than just a blog. I want to take my passions of food and photography more directly into people’s lives. I want to learn and understand more. Most of all I hope I can come to reach more people to help them think outside the box when it comes to food and to continue to prove that healthy food can taste so good and reap such rewards both mentally and physically.

Food really is the medicine of the future. This I truly believe.

One book I mentioned very early on in my blog’s history, is The China Study.  Of all the research I have come across, this has to be one of the most compelling publications from a scientific (and not simply moral) perspective of the benefits of a plant based diet. Upon reading this I was hooked.

Last but not least, I truly appreciate you all for joining me on my journey and the input you offer, whether you are a long time reader or someone who may come across me once in a while. I hope I can continue to inspire you. If you have any thoughts as to how I could continue to improve please chime in... for example: more sweet/savoury recipes, photos of the processes, fitness/health related non recipe posts, more/less about 'me' in the posts or anything else that comeas to your mind. Oh, and if you have ideas for recipes you want to be 'healthanized' please shout...i'm up for the challenge!

P.S If you want to have a little chuckle, this was my very first post!

P.P.S Strawberry cheesecake recipe to follow shortly…promise!

 

Turtle cheesecake…healthy style!

Last week I asked followers of my Facebook page to suggest some naughty foods they wanted to be ‘healthanized’.  I always have tonnes of ideas of my own, but figured it would be nice to open up the question to you guys…what indulgent foods would you like a healthier version of? A little guilt free indulgence is good for the soul, right?

A few ideas to work on, but one that stood out to me right away was ‘turtle cheesecake’. Now, I’d never heard of turtle cheesecake over here in the UK (I am just behind the times or is it just a US thing!?) So intrigued by the name I set off to google it…woah! A cheesecake characterised by chocolate caramel and pecans!

The other reason the cheesecake appealed was because I have never actually made a vegan cheesecake (come to think of it I don’t think I even made regular cheesecake back in the day). Most of the recipes I came across were based on a blend of silken tofu and toffutti cream cheese substitute.  I don’t have a major issue with either of these products but out of choice I generally prefer to avoid cheese substitutes (since eat a vegan diet on a largely nutritional basis I feel that I may as well have the ‘real thing’ if I would otherwise have a fake manufactured version- but generally I do go for either). So the tofu was fine with me (but I am also investigating a soy free version). I teamed this up with cashew butter, but any mild tasting light coloured nut butter would be fine.

The base of this cheesecake worked really well and was based on my ever popular ‘healthy breakfastcookie’  I simply made the cookie dough without the baking powder, adding some cocoa powder to the mixture, and then pressed this onto the bottom of a cake pan (I used the ones with removal bottoms for easy removal after baking/chilling). The base is not crunchy so if you prefer some ore texture feel free to add extra crushed nuts.

The toppings were the hard part…chocolate caramel and pecans. Pecans no problem- healthy nut fats. For the chocolate I used dark chocolate drops sprinkled axcross the surface of the cake before it went in the oven, I then finished with some dark choc shavings just before serving. Shavings are great because the give the visual impression of there being loads of chocolate but a small square actually goes a long way. Lastly the caramel…I made the healthiest version I could think of, yes it does contain a lot of sugar but it is of the unrefined variety.

So there you have it….a healthy turtle cheesecake!

Challenge One completed…keep the suggestions coming!

You can find more of my indulgent desserts here.

Oh, one last thing- before you scroll down and roll your eyes at the long list of ingredients and instructions… the processes for each element  are really super quick and simple… it just reads like a lot! Promise!

Recipe: Turtle cheesecake

Makes one 8” or two 4” pans

Ingredients- cheesecake base

½ cup oats*

¼ cup buckwheat flour (other flours would probably be fine too)

1 tbs ground flax/chia

Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to taste (optional)

2 tbs cocoa powder

2 tbs agave or maple syrup (plus a pinch of stevia for optional extra sweetness)

Approx. ¼ cup vegan yoghurt (or regular yoghurt for non vegan)

Ingredients- cheesecake

1 package of silken tofu (I used Mori Nu)

½ cup cashew butter (or an mild light coloured creamy nut butter)

1/3 cup agave plus ¼ tsp pure stevia (add extra to taste if desired)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs ground chia (I used white chia for a lighter colour but it’s not necessary)

Topping:

Generous handful of dark choc drops plus extra choc for shavings

Generous handful of pecan pieces

Generous drizzle of caramel sauce (see below)

Ingredients- caramel sauce

½ cup rapadura/sucanat/coconut sugar (I used coconut sugar)

½ cup soy yoghurt

½ tsp carob powder (optional for extra richness)

1 heaped tbs coconut oil

Method

For the base, mix all ingredients together until you have a soft sticky ball of dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased cake pan (use one with a removal bottom for ease later on).

For the caramel, add the sugar and half of the yoghurt to a small pan over the stove and then gently melt the sugar over a low heat. Once dissolved, add the remaining yoghurt and carob if using. Whisk well whilst bringing the mixture to a simmer for approx. 3 minutes until you have a smooth rich caramel sauce. Stir through the coconut oil at the end of the cooking time. Pour into a tub and allow to cool until use.

For the cheesecake, blitz all the ingredients together in a blender/food processor (I use my Thermomix) and then pour over the base layer in the cake pan(s). Add the sprinkling of choc chips acorss the top of the batter.

Bake the cheesecakes at 180C for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the tins (I used two 4” tins and they took just under 20 minutes) Once just golden and a skewer come away clean they are ready- note they may be puffed up when you take them out of the oven (mine were which surprised me!) It’s ok they settle down flat again as they cool.

Chill for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Once chilled add pecans, drizzle over the caramel sauce and then add chocolate shavings to complete the look. Chill prior to serving (the caramel will firm up a little due to the coconut oil content).

 
* for further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Raspberry cheesecake ‘rame-cake’

It was a busy morning for me. First stop swimming followed by pilates.

I enjoy swimming as it is one of the only times I am able to truly switch off, maybe it’s the rhythmical pace gliding up and down the lane or maybe it’s the submersion and notion of feeling ‘in your own little bubble’. It is also the time when I often feel most creative, my mind is quiet and thoughts come flooding in….

…. It can also been the most frustrating time to be creative, inspired thoughts in the middle of a pool with no capacity to write anything down is, well, rather annoying at times!

After my swim and a quick sauna, the pilates session is a nice compliment to round off the morning’s activities. I’m a bit of a pilates newbie but I’m finding I actually quite enjoy it. My usual activities involve more hard core cardio or flinging myself about- i.e around a squash court or a pole… (I teach pole dance classes), I was recently advised to take up pilates as I have had problems with my hips due to the fact my joints are hypermobile, and actually I think it may be helping. It also gives me an opportunity to sloooow down, something which I am notoriously very bad at! Thus, my Friday mornings have become a time to revive my mind and set me up for a productive weekend.

Once home I was in need of food and lots of it.…. The mug cakes were calling!!

The recipe for my first ever chocolate mug cake post was based on one large mug or two ramekins. Whilst that’s great for sharing (or if you are in need of a major cake hit!), I often simply want a little treat just for me, and a mug is too much. So here I have reworked the recipe amounts to create a ‘single serving ramekin’ aka the ‘rame-cake’ and believe me this is more than enough to hit the spot!

In putting together this recipe I was also keen to experiment with a GF version... um, so then one 'ramecake' became two... shhhh!  I have noted my GF alterations below, and in my opinion this version was perfectly yummy with barely a hint of any grainyness so typical with GF flours.  I did notice a slight difference in texture as I sampled each cake one after the other, but had this not been the case then I don't think I would have 'noticed' I was eating a GF sponge. 

 Recipe: Raspberry cheesecake ‘rame-cake’

Ingredients:

2 tbs white spelt flour (see GF version below)

1 tsp rapadura and a few grains of stevia (or an extra tsp of rapadura as it is easy to overdo the stevia for such a small amount)

Tiny pinch salt

¼ tsp baking powder (increase to a heaped 1/4 tsp for GF)

2 tbs soy milk (add 1 extra tsp for GF)

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp yoghurt

Few drops vanilla extract

Small handful of frozen raspberries broken up (I use frozen as they are easier to break, don’t colour the batter and are available all year round)

1 tsp vegan cream cheese, 1tsp soy milk, tiny amount of agave (or any liquid sweetener) to make the ‘cheesecake’ (omit this if you just want a fruity sponge!)

Method

Mix the ‘cheesecake’ ingredients- cream cheese, soy milk and agave together and set aside. Place coconut oil, vanilla and soy milk up in a small bowl and melt together until the coconut is melted. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix and keep mixing until there are no lumps or dry patches of unmixed flour. Lightly mix through the raspberry pieces and spoon the batter into a ramekin or mini bowl. Top the batter with the ‘cheesecake’ mix and mix in slightly with a toothpick if desired. Cook on full power (based on 900W) in microwave for 30 seconds. Check with a cocktail stick until stick comes out almost clean. Cook for up 20 seconds more if necessary until cooked.

For the GF version I used GF flours to the equivalent of 2 tbs.  I used 1 tbs of Doves Farm GF mix (this is a UK brand consisting of rice, potato, tapicoca and buckwheat flours) plus 2 tsp almond meal.  I think the addition of nut meal really helps to prevent the sponge from becoming grainy or dry. I imagine any type of GF flour mix would be quite flexible for those that have their favourite combos.  Also note the slight increase to baking powder as I found that with a level 1/4 tsp the cake did not rise to the same degree as the spelt version so was a little more dense. I also added slightly more soy milk as in my experience GF flours are dryer.


Please let me know how you get on and any changes you make!

 P.S The pics are of the spelt version.