Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cheesecake


It’s been a while…. A LONG while. It’s a thing called life. But, after I posted a picture of a cheesecake I made I had quite a few requests for the recipe. The recipe it’s self is way too long  (do not let it intimidate you though!) to send as a reply in a text message or on a thread. So, naturally this seemed to be the easiest way – and I always like the easy way. 
This “cheese”cake comes with a few “let me preface this” statements….
1)   Even though this is Paleo, it’s still a TREAT – it is VERY rich and obviously shouldn’t be eaten in one sitting or made weekly 
2)   I had no intention of posting this to my blog (term used loosely) so the pictures are from my iphone & I have not done the extent of trial and errors I usually do. Make it once then start playing around with a little less of this and little more of that…….
3)    It takes some “thought preparation” but the recipe is not hard.  (The cashews have to soak over night & I recommend making the sun butter cups the day before)
4)   After you read the ingredients list, don’t immediately write it off. It’s good – promise.
5)   You will need a 9inch spring-form pan. 




The Crust
2 cups raw pecans
2 TBS coconut oil
1 heaping TBS almond butter
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup pure maple syrup, grade B
pinch of sea salt (ground)

The filling
2 cups raw cashews that have been soaked in water overnight
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup pure maple syrup, either grade A or B will work here
4 TBS chocolate coconut water
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 regular zucchini that is peeled and diced
½ cup almond butter
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
Juice of half of a lemon

The sauce/toppings (this is enough for the whole cake –I halved it, knowing we would not eat the whole thing & you pour this on right when you serve it) You could leave the sun-butter cups off, but why? They are delish!
½ cup coconut oil
4 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBS maple syrup
1 TSP vanilla
Chopped Sunbutter cups

Sunbutter cups
For the sunbutter cups – you can make them or buy them (if your lucky enough to find a store that carries them. ) The store bought ones are not 100% Paleo, but they are close enough. If you want to make them… Here’s how

1 & ½ cups Enjoy life mini chips
1 cup sunflower seed butter (I bet almond butter would be yummy too!)
½ cup of melted coconut oil
1/3 cup raw honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
pinch of cinnamon

-If you have the mini cupcake pans – use them! If not, use the regular size. Line the pan with liners (I recommend using silicone liners – if your using paper liners, spray some coconut oil in them first)
- Melt your chocolate chips – do this slowly in the microwave (heat a minute then stir & repeat) or use a double boiler.
-put a  good sized dollop of the melted chocolate in the bottom of the cupcake liners (go about half way up the sides)
-stick in the freezer to harden then start on the filling
 -Put the nut-butter, coconut oil, raw honey, sea salt and vanilla in a food processor and mix well.
 -When the chocolate has hardened put a spoonful of the nut-butter-filling in the cups & freeze again (this freeze doesn’t need as long – maybe 30 min.)
 -Re-melt your leftover chocolate & pour on top of the hardened nut-butter cups.
 Store in the refrigerator until your ready to use them

Directions
First you have to prepare the CRUST
-Line the bottom of your spring-form pan with parchment paper.
-Put the pecans in the food processor and pulse them into a fine meal
-Add the coconut oil, almond butter, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt and process until well combined.
-Press the mixture evenly into the pan
-Place in the freezer to set while you make the filling
For the Filling
-Process the pre-soaked cashews until you get a creamy texture
-Then add the coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut water and vanilla and process until smooth.
-Add the zucchini, almond butter, salt, cinnamon, and lemon juice and process until smooth (let it blend for a good amount of time to really get a creamy mixture. If it is too thick – add a few more drops of coconut water)
-Pour the filling into the frozen pie crust and smooth it out. Allow to freeze for at least 4 hours. (Remove 30ish minuets before serving to make it easy to cut)

When your ready to serve it – make your sauce.
-Put everything except the sun-butter cups in a small bowl & microwave till warm.   -Stir well. (When you pour this on the cold cake it will form a “shell”) 
-Cut your cups into pieces & sprinkle on top


There you go.  Yummy Yummy!
Maybe I can find some motivation to post our Biscuits & Gravy or Pizza Crust…… Maybe.