Wednesday 12 November 2014

Got Milk?

Ok, so you will have to stop yourself from eating the whole batch of these salty, sweet, nutty, creamy pots of heaven. But they are made from clean, healthy & all natural ingredients! Why can't I just eat them all??


Well, as they say, food is to be consumed in moderation. But at least you don't have to be guilty for eating dessert. Mind you, I did entirely scrape every single morsel of mixture from the bowl!


Now, there has been a whole lot of speculation going around about Cows Milk being bad for you & cancerous. From some articles, it does make sense. Humans are the only species to consume milk in Adulthood & from another animal. We only started drinking cows milk since the agricultural  revolution. One in 100,000 women in China develop breast cancer, compared to one in 12 women in the west. This is due to there being a lack of a Dairy Industry in China. And on top of that, a huge 3/4 of the worlds population is lactose intolerant.


Well, I'm not going to cut out dairy completely, but I'm trying to cut it out where possible...Because I just can't possibly give up cheese!! So, like I said, in moderation.


Now, it might seem strange that I would substitute the cheese in these salted caramel cheesecakes, as I just love cheese so much. But you really wouldn't know. They taste just like cheesecake!


They really need to be tasted to be believed. So take my word & give them a go. Try make them yourself. You won't be disappointed!

Vegan, Paleo & Gluten free Salted Caramel Cheesecake


Ingredients
For the crust:
• 1 cup raw walnuts/pecans
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 tbsp Almond butter
• 2 tbsp Coconut flour
• 2 tbsp Honey/Pure Maple Syrup
• Pinch Sea Salt

For the filling:
• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight)
• 1/2 cup raw zucchini, peeled & grated
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
• 2 tbsp Honey/Pure Maple Syrup
• 2 tbsp Coconut Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
• Juice of 1 medium Lemon

For the caramel topping:
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt

Method
Process the walnuts/pecans in a food processor, high power blender or a tupperware turbo chef. Then add the following ingredients until combined. Press into glass jars or patty pan lined muffin tins, to form a 5mm crust. Place in freezer to set while you prepare the filling.

In a high powered blender, process the cashews until smooth. Then add following ingredients until smooth & creamy. With the lemon juice, add a bit at a time until you reach the desired taste. If your batter is too thick add small amount of water or coconut milk until smooth texture is achieved. Spoon the filling into the cases/jars until almost at the top. Leave enough room for the caramel topping. Place cheesecakes in Freezer to set for at least an hour.

To make the caramel topping, combine the coconut milk, coconut sugar & coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat, whisking until the mixture comes to a soft boil, about 5 minutes. Add Vanilla extract & Salt, then bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat & whisk until the mixture becomes a smooth liquid again. Place back over the heat & let the mixture boil for another minute. Remove & whisk again. Let the mixture cool. As it cools, it will thicken. Refrigerate to cool completely.

Once your cheesecakes are hardened, spoon the caramel on top & let set.
Store them in the freezer & remove 15 mins prior to eating...if you can wait that long!! Sprinkle a little sea salt on top before eating. Enjoy!!





* Recipe thanks to http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/