Peach Melba Cheesecake

Dairy-free Tofu-based cheesecake
Makes enough for 8-12 slices.
No refined sugar, no artifical flavours or colours.
Gluten-free.
Base made from medjool dates and nuts.
A summery frozen dessert.

Organic Cashew Nuts (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

145g of Cashews, soaked overnight or for 6-8 hours.

Organic Unblanched Almonds (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

90g Unblanched Almonds.

Roasted Hazelnuts, Organic 500g (Sussex Wholefoods)

80g Roasted Hazelnuts.

Organic Sunflower Seeds (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

2 Tbsp of Sunflower Seeds.

Mori-Nu Silken Tofu - Firm 349g

350g or 1 carton Firm Silken Tofu

Organic Medjool Dates (500g) - Sussex WholeFoods

120g Medjool Dates, stones/pits removed!

Coconut Blossom Nectar Syrup, Organic 350g (Biona)

120g Coconut Syrup for the filling and 3-4 Tbsp for the topping.

Yacon Syrup, Organic 170ml (Of the Earth)

2 TbspYacon Syrup for the base.

Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic 400g (Biona)

2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil for the base, 2 Tbsp for the filling.

Vanilla Paste 100ml (Little Pod)

2 tsp Vanilla Paste.

Profusion Himalayan Rose Pink Salt - fine 500g

1 pinch of salt

VegeSet Vegan Setting Agent 25g (Just Wholefoods)

5 Tbsp Vegeset Powder

Rice Dream Organic Rice Drink 1litre

570ml or 1 Pint of Rice Milk

Peach Fruit Crush, Organic 250g (The Fruit Tree)

1 jar of Peach Fruit Crush

Lemon Juice 250ml (Sunita)

55-60ml Lemon Juice

Freeze Dried Raspberries 100g (Healthy Supplies)

30g of Freeze-Dried Raspberries, roughly crushed.

Other Ingredients

250ml of recently boiled water.

Method

Prepare the base first. Double line the base of a loose-based (spring form if possible) 20cm/ 8inch diameter round cake tin.
In a food processor grind the roasted hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and almonds into a medium fine powder.
Add the stoned Medjool dates, 2 Tbsp of Yacon Syrup and 2 Tbsp of coconut oil and blend again using the metal cutting blades. Clear any stuck mixture from the sides of the blender and whizz up again until you have a workable paste similar to dough.
Press the “dough” into the base of the cake tin using the back of a spoon. Tidy up the edges and even out the mixture with your fingertips. Place in the fridge.
Prepare the filling. Drain the soaked cashews and rinse. In a clean blender bowl, blend the cashews, the Tofu, half of the peach fruit crush and the Coconut Syrup. Keep to one side.
In a saucepan add the rice milk and the vanilla paste. Gently warm the pan and sprinkle over 3 Tbsp of the Vegeset powder.
Stir/whisk vigourously until you have a thick paste and the mixture is almost bubbling.
Quickly add this mixture to the blended ingredients and blend until you have a smooth, thick double-cream consistency.
Spoon into the cake tin and smooth over the top surface with a spatula.
Place in the freezer overnight or for at least 8-12 hours. We left ours in overnight and this made it a little tricky to remove once decorated as we did not use a spring-form cake tin! If you wish you can check the consistency in the middle with a skewer and remove the outer ring when the filling is just setting and pop it back in to the freezer until you are ready to serve.
Around half an hour to an hour before you are ready to serve the dessert make the fruit topping. In a saucepan add the Freeze-Dried Raspberries, the second half of the peach fruit crush, 250ml of water, 2 Tbsp of Vegeset and 3-4 Tbsp of Coconut Syrup.
Bring the mixture to a bubble, stirring constantly throughout. You should achieve a thick paste. Remove from the heat and keep stirring to cool a little.
Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and spread the fruit compote onto the top of the cheesecake immediately. Spread it as evenly and as neatly as you can since the mixture will starts to set! If you have left the collar of the cake tin on then this will be a little easier.
Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 15-30 minutes and then serve. Slice with a sharp blade for best results.
Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge overnight, although it is at its best texture and flavour if eaten on the same day. Not a problem if you have plenty of hungry guests and/or are feeling greedy! Enjoy!