Dairy Free Cheesecake

[Guest guest]

Dairy Free Cheesecake

 

Ingredients

 

2 c graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4 ts almond extract --filling---

1 lb tofu; firm, japanese, silken

1/3 c sugar

1 tb tahini or almond butter

1/2 ts salt

1 tb lemon juice

1/2 ts lemon zest

1/2 ts almond extract

2 tb cornstarch; dissolved in

2 tb soy milk; or rice milk

 

Procedure

 

 

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl,

mix cracker

crumbs,

syrup and extract until crumbs are moistened. Pour

into oiled 9-inch

pie

plate; press mixture evenly to form crust. Bake 5

minutes. Let cool

while

preparing filling.

 

Filling: Blend all ingredients in food processor or

blender until

smooth,

about 30 seconds. Pour mixture into crust. Bake until

top of pie is

slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool and

refrigerate until

thoroughly

chilled and firm, about two hours.

 

Variations:

 

Alternatively, use a prepared graham cracker crust.

For a no-bake

cheesecake, omit cornstarch mixture. Pour filling into

crust and

refrigerate until firm, at least two hours or

overnight. The texture

will

resemble that of a cream pie.

 

Feel free to experiment. Try adding vanilla-flavored

liqueur instead

of

lemon juice and zest for a vanilla cheesecake. Or

reduce the

sweetener,

eliminate the lemon juice and zest, and add pureed

strawberries or

raspberries to taste. Or add 12 ounces of melted

semisweet chocolate

instead of fruit. Or forget the crust and pour the

filling into

custard

cups, chill and serve as vegan pudding.

 

Recipe by: Carole Wiley Lorente, Vegetarian Times,

6/97