I saw the pictures of her Blackberry Lemon Lavender Raw cheesecake and lets just say I knew it was something I just had to try.
The link to her blog and this beyond delicious recipe is :
http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/2012/06/raw-blackberry-lemon-lavender.html
I can not express right now how much I liked this recipe. Give it a try!!!
Raw Vegan Blackberry Lemon Lavender Cheesecake
Makes one 6 inch cake
Crust:
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped
Filling:
2 1/2 cups raw cashews (preferably soaked overnight)
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract and seeds from half a vanilla bean (other half reserved for topping)
2 Tbsp organic dried lavender flowers
1 cup fresh organic blackberries
Blackberry puree:
1/4 cup blackberries
1 Tbsp agave nectar
Cream Topping:
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces (preferably soaked overnight)
1/2 cup coconut water
3/4 cup fresh young coconut meat* (or additional soaked cashews if not available)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla and seeds of half a vanilla bean (the other half of the one you used for the filling)
1/4 cup coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
To prepare the crust, process hazelnuts and sea salt in a food processor until the pecans are fine crumbs, then add the dates and process until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Firmly press crust into the bottom of prepared pan. Set aside.
To make filling, drain cashews and combine them with lemon juice, and zest, agave nectar, coconut oil, sea salt and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Remove the filling from the food processor, stir in lavender and divide evenly between 2 bowls. Place half back into the food processor and add 1 cup blackberries. Puree until smooth and scrape back in the bowl. For the blackberry puree, using an immersion blender (or you can rinse out the food processor) combine the 1/4 cup blackberries and 1 Tbsp agave nectar and puree until smooth. Drop the filling alternating between the vanilla and blackberry in about 3 tbspful amounts over crust in pan, until all is used up, sort of in a checkerboard fashion. Tap on the counter to level (keeping pan level). Drop some of the puree in teaspoonful amounts over the top of the cake (reserving some for serving) and swirl with a knife to create marbling. Place in the freezer or fridge until it is set, 6 hours or overnight (overnight in the fridge, but the freezer might get too hard after a few hours). To make topping, drain cashews and blend all ingredients until smooth in a food processor, and set in the freezer about 30 minutes until a frosting consistency. Place in a pastry bag and pipe decoratively on top of the cheesecake.
I have had a few comments from readers regarding opening young coconuts. If you do not know how to open a young coconut to get the water and meat out, here is a page that was helpful to me on learning how to open them:
http://www.youngcoconuts.com/open.html
