.Raw.

Raw Foods. Or Raw Food Diet. Ever heard of it?

Well, I have. And I have to say that the 2 items I've tasted, being classified as 'raw' were Marvoulous!

Peter's Mother, Zofia, would be so proud of me. Why? Because I am about to attempt the following.

A Raw Dessert.

First, I should clarify what the definition is of Raw Food Diet: a diet based on uncooked and unprocessed plant foods, such as fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, grains, seeds and beans. You cannot heat your food above 116 degrees F as it is believed to destroy enzymes in food that can assist in the digestions and absorption of food.

So there you have it. I am attemping to cook a Raw Dessert for Peter for Valentines.

photo: Roostblog

Meyer Lemon, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

(Adapted from Roost Blog, which was tweaked from Emily Lee Angell's recipe)

For the Crust:

-2 cups raw almonds soaked overnight

-1/2 dates, pitted (about 7 or 8 dates) if dates are really dry, put them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, discard water

-1/4 cup non-sweetened coconut flakes

Place almonds and dates in a food processor and mix until chopped and well incorporated. Cover the bottom of a 9inch spring form cake pan with the coconut flakes (this prevents the cake from sticking the the pan). Pour the almond mixture on top of the coconut flakes , spread out and mold into the cake pan.

For the Filling:

-3 cups raw cashews soaked for three hours

-3/4 cup fresh meyer lemon juice

-3/4 cup raw honey (you can use regular honey if you don't want to go 100% raw)

-3/4 cup raw coconut oil (I couldn't actually find this, so I mixed oil with a little coconut flakes, and it turned out pretty good....I used a little less oil than called for)

-1 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped, pod discarded

-1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil (do not use microwave), vanilla/vanilla bean, and sea salt. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste. (For the best results you need to use a high speed blender!)

Pour mixture on top of the "crust" and carefully tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.

For the topping:

-1 bag of frozen blueberries (or any berry that you prefer)

-honey or dates to sweeten (I didn't measure I just poured and tasted)

-1/4 cup orange juice (this is optional, but my mixture was too thick so I added the orange juice to smooth it out....apple cider would work great too or water if needed)

Place honey, berries and cider/juice in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Pour over "cheese" mixture. 

Place the pan in the freezer for at least three hours or overnight. Before serving place on counter to thaw slightly. This is best served semi frozen, soft enough to run a serrated knife through. 

photo: Roostblog

**So that's that. And just to let you know it was pretty damn good. Light, refreshing, with a 'healthy' taste to it. Even the husband was quoted saying "Good dessert Erinn. I like this better than normal desserts". Guess that's a winner.

And doesn't it look devine?

I think so.