lemon raspberry cheesecake {nearly raw + nearly vegan}

Nic and I spent a bitterly cold weekend in Chicago that one weekend when the Midwest was experiencing bitterly cold weather.

It never fails, when we go to Chicago, it is cold.

Perhaps that is because we always go in February, but still. In a winter when we have been relishing the warmer temps, it had to be cold {and windy} when we made the trek to the windy city.

Despite the frigid temps (and a stolen iPhone) we had a great time paying far too much for parking and cabs, catching a Broadway show (American Idiot) at the Oriental Theater, visiting the Museum of Science and Industry and indulging in some fantastic vegan food.

Oh yeah - a weekend in Chicago to celebrate Nic's 28th birthday, and we ate vegan 100% of the time.

He was pleased.

Seriously.

Since weekend trips {and vacations, of course} are all about eating with just enough culture mixed in, you can bet that I spent most of our time looking up places to grab our next meal, or coffee + a snack. And our first destination on Saturday morning was the Chicago French Market where we made a b-line to RAW.

As we were browsing the selection of possible morning snacks, we were treated to a few samples. A raw brownie (good, but not earth shattering), a raw nacho cheese cracker (amazing!), and a small taste of the raw lemon square (to die for).

I asked the owner if she would share the recipe, which she didn't, but did give me a run down of what was in it - giving me a good road map on how to create this at home.

And that is where the inspiration for this dessert comes it. Nic and I left that morning, vowing to stop again on our way out of town to pick up a full sized version of the lemon square for the road. And although our plans changed just a bit (making a stop at a Chicago Police Department instead of the French Market on our way out of town) the taste of this dessert never left my mind.



Nearly Raw Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake
This seriously might be one of the best desserts I have ever made. I used to make cheesecakes for every single family function, and since becoming vegan, these have been {noticeably} absent, much to my family's displeasure. This dessert will fill that void and surpass all expectations. Some may not even realize they are eating a cheesecake sans the cheese. Lemony, tangy, and stunningly beautiful, this dessert is sure to please.


In the mix::

Crust  

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 10 dates
• 1/2 t vanilla
• pinch salt

Lemon Cheesecake Layer  

• 1 cup cashews (soaked 8 hour or overnight)
• zest of 1.5-2 lemons
• juice of 2 lemons (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup honey (could use other liquid sweetener for a 100% vegan dessert)
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/4 t salt

Raspberry Topping* 

• 2 cups frozen raspberries
• 2 T honey
• 1-2 t cornstarch

To Prepare::

Crust

Place the nuts, dates, vanilla and salt in a food processor and pulse until a fine crumb forms and holds its shape when squeezed into a ball. Press into an 8" x 8" pan and place in the fridge.

Lemon Cheesecake Layer

Give the cashews a good rinse (after soaking) and place into a blender with lemon zest, juice, coconut cream (the cream that forms on top of a can of full-fat coconut milk when refrigerated), honey, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Take some time at this step using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure you end up with an ultra creamy consistency.

I used the zest of 1.5 lemons for my first trial, but would increase it the next time I make it. The zest is key!

Pour batter onto the chilled crust using a spatula to smooth it out. Cover with saran wrap and place in the freezer while you prepare the topping.

Raspberry Topping - Cooked Version

This is the method I used, but I will suggest a raw version below.

In a small saucepan, heat the raspberries and honey over medium heat. As they thaw and begin to break apart, add cornstarch and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool in the fridge.

Raspberry Topping - Raw Version

This is the method I was hoping to use, but was out of chia seeds.

Allow raspberries to thaw in a bowl. Stir in honey and break the raspberries apart with a fork. Stir in two tablespoons of chia seeds and set aside, allowing to gel for at least 15 minutes. Although I haven't tried this variation yet, I am confident it will work. You could also use ground chia seeds.

When the lemon cheesecake layer is firm, carefully spread the raspberries on top. Cover and allow to chill in freezer (for a firmer cheesecake) or fridge (for an ultra creamy cheesecake).

We brought this to a dinner party on Friday night and got rave reviews. It hadn't been in the freezer for too long before we had to leave, so the consistency of the lemon layer was very creamy.

We brought the left overs to a dinner party on Sunday night and got rave reviews. It had been in the freezer since Friday, and even after letting it set on the counter while we ate dinner, it was still a bit frozen when we dug our forks in. Still amazing, but the creamier it is when you serve it, the better.

Our friend, who loves cheesecake, admitted that if I hadn't told her it was made from cashews, she would not have even asked. She said this as she was sharing the last creamy square with her two year old son. I asked why she was wasting it on him and not sharing with me. I was only kidding, sort of. Instead I reached for the pan and picked at the leftover crumbs. You simply cannot waste such a good thing.



Make this dessert and fool all of the cheesecake lovers in your life.

Make this dessert and hide it in the back of your freezer, pulling a piece out to indulge in when no one else is around.

Delicious Variation - make a cheesecake parfait. Grab a pretty glass and layer with the a sprinkle of the nutty crust, lemon cheesecake filling and raspberry topping, repeating until the glass is full.