Mimi Kirk’s Cheesecake

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 I like Mimi Kirk very much! She was nominated as a sexiest vegetarian over 50 at age 70! She looks really amazing for her age. Her raw food recipes videos helped me a lot, when I just started my raw food life. I was so inspired by her, so ordered her book ”Live Raw” with very nice recipes. On the first step of transition to raw food I wanted sweets, I had a lot of nuts every day.  I made a cheesecake from her book and invited my friends. So it was my first raw food cake and everybody loved it! Original recipe with blackberries, but I could not find them in Tokyo, so replaced with bluberries. You can use any kind of berries for this recipe. This cake is perfect for hot summer time, because required to be frozen.  And be careful, this is a big size cake for big family or party! Dont eat it alone, too much fat from nuts and coconut oil is not good for your health!  You can keep it frozen for some months as well.

 cakeraw

Recipe:

For the Crust

2 cups of pecans                                   Pinch of salt

5 tbl.sp cacao nibs                                 Dash of vanilla

3 tbl.sp.cacao powder                          5 medjool dates, pitted

Put all ingredients in food processor except dates. Pulse until chipped. Add dates one at a time through the feed tube and pulse until incorporated, leaving bit of a chunk. Pinch a piece between your fingers, if it stick together, it is finished.

Press the crust into a springform pan (or pie plate lined with clear wrap), bringing up the sides about 1/2 to 1 inch. Place several whole blackberries (or other berries) spaced around the sides about 2-3 inches apart. Set aside. Blackberries make it pretty design on the outside when the rim is removed from the springform pan.

For the Blackberry Syrup and decoration

3 cups your favourite berries plus one cup, recerved for decoration

Blend berries in blender. Add a little sweetener to taste. Strain mixture through strainer to seperate the berry seeds (I like seeds, so didnt strain). You might have to stir the mixture to move the seeds aside and help the liquid to pass through the strainer. Pour in container and set aside.

For the Cheesecake Filling

3 cups soaked cashew                          Pinch of salt

2 cups almond milk                               Dash of vanilla

Juice from 1/2 lemon                            1 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/3 cup agave or sweetener of choice

1/4 cup sunflower lecithin or irish moss gel

Blend the cashew, almond milk, lemon, sweetener, vanilla, and salt in blender. While blender is running, slowly add the melted coconut oil, and, if you are using it, the lecithin (or irish moss). Remove 1/3 of the mixture to a container and stir in 1 tablespoon of maple extract or maple syrup. Taste for sweetness and set aside. If preferred, use maple extract mixed with agave instead of maple syrup. This is your maple cream topping.

Add berry syrup to the balance of the mixture still in blender. Blend and taste for sweetness. Pour 1/2 the mixture into the crust, drizzle maple syrup over the top and tap the mold to settle the filling. Add balance of the berry mixture and tap again. Place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from freezer and top with the maple cream topping. Place cheesecake back in freezer for 4-5 hours.

To serve:

Take cheesecake from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving and remove the springform pan. Drizzle maple syrup on top and spread across the whole top with spatula or flat knife. This helps to hold the berries in place. Place halved pecans around the outside circumference. Decorate with whole berries placed around in a circle to cover top.
Drizzle maple syrup and berries sauce around the plate of individual serving.

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Bon Appetit!