Vegan day 320: Lemon Tofu Cheesecake

Call me lucky! After yesterday’s blog- learning all about the Art and Technique of Homemade Tofu, I was fortunate to get the project of making the cheesecake. Our class broke into groups for different recipes:

(1) Lemon Tofu Cheesecake
(2) Spicy hashed bean curd and pepitas
(3) Crispy pressed tofu with garlic and mint
(4) Seared tofu with spicy black beans and mango salsa

It’s no secret by now that I love my sweets and desserts. I have however, been slowly coming to the realization that I must someday release these. Sugar is not only an addiction.. but also a drug. Sugar has many faces and nicknames as well. As I am transitioning, the best I can do is prepare desserts with the best forms of sweetness that I can find. That being said, I am thrilled to have the assignment of cheesecake since it is my most favorite dessert!

Lemon Tofu Cheesecake
(from Peter Berley, Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health)

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons canola oil
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2lbs extra firm tofu
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon agar flakes
1 cup of cold water
2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder
3/4 cup soy milk

Procedure:
We made the crust first- it was simple: 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
• Combine wet crust ingredients together and then the dry crust ingredients separately- stir each well and then mix the wet and dry together 
• Press the dough into a lightly greased 9 inch spring form cake pan
• Bake until golden brown – about 18 minutes. We didn’t have time in class for the filling to chill completely in the pie form so we made graham crackers with the crust ingredients instead. We scored it with a knife ahead of time so we knew where to break them. 
• For the filling, we blended the tofu, oil, maple syrup, salt, lemon juice, zest and vanilla in a food processor until creamy.
• Next we combined the agar and cold water in a sauce pan and simmered until the flakes dissolved. 
• In a small separate bowl, we dissolved the arrowroot in the soy milk, and then added it to the simmering pan. We cooked this over medium heat until the mixture thickened and started to bubble. 
• Add this mixture to the food processor batch and blend smooth.
• Pour tofu mixture into the pie crust or small dessert dishes like we did. Chill for at least an hour.
• When using the 9 inch spring form cake pan, run a knife around the cheesecake before releasing the spring.

ENJOY!

Other dishes my class made with the tofu prepared from yesterday’s blog:

Disclaimer: The information given here is for educational purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.