This Sunday I met up with my dad for father's day. This weekend I wanted to make my dad something just as delicious as the blackberry shortbread bars I made last weekend for my boyfriend's family. Vegetarian Times recently posted a wonderful recipe for a cashew cheesecake. I've modified it quite a bit, but see their website for the original recipe. I'm certainly not the only food blogger that has made adaptations. Find a recipe that works for your tastes and what ingredients you have available.

Next time I make this recipe, I might use a springform pan and double or triple the amount of the cashew cream to make it as thick as a New York Style Cheesecake. The bottom of the tart is made with an almond crust topped with thick cashew cream and then with fresh pitted sweet cherries from my favorite local produce stand. It's a no-bake recipe and if you have a food processor, it's a recipe that's quite easy to whip up. My father was so pleased with the recipe that he decided not to share it with his family guests over the weekend.

 

Cashew Cheesecake Tart
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
(The changes are significant enough that I'm really tempted to call it my own.)

Almond Date Crust:
1 cup raw, unblanched whole almonds
3/4 cup pitted organic dates
1/4 cup unsweetened unsulphured organic coconut
1/2 cup of rinsed and drained raw cashews (see below)
small handful of pecan halves

Cashew Cheesecake Filling:
1 container of Giant's Nature's Promise organic raw cashews, soaked in water overnight, rinsed, drained
1 packet of vanilla sugar (or alternatively use vanilla extract and subtract equal amount of soymilk)
6 T raw turbinado sugar
4 T soymilk
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T walnut oil*
squirt of flax oil

Suggested toppings: berries, cherries, or left as is!

Day before: soak cashews overnight in water.

Combine the almonds, dates, coconut, 1/2 cup cashews, and pecans in a food processor until small crumbs form and when pressed the dough holds its shape. It will be slightly sticky. Press firmly into a prepared tart pan. Refrigerate. Clean the food processor and prepare cheesecake filling.

Mix remaining cashews, vanilla sugar, sugar, soy milk, lemon juice, and oils in the food processor until thick, creamy, and dense. Remove crust from refrigerator. Scoop out cashew cream with a spoon and spread on top of almond crust.  Refrigerate. Top with toppings of your choice or leave plain. Cheesecake will become more firm as it's refrigerated.

*Except with the addition of the oils, this recipe could be considered raw.