Whipped Coffee Coconut Vegan Cheesecake with Cinnamon Crust
That title looks so delicious I could eat it. But instead I've been eating the real-life version of it, by the spoonful.
This morning began innocently with a plan to replenish my jar of homemade date & fig jam. As those soaked fruits whizzed round the food processor a perfectly ripe banana caught my eye, so I threw that in. Also had some leftover coconut cream, in it went. Before I knew it I was spooning heaped tablespoons of peanut butter into the mix and sprinkling maldon sea salt in spontaneous dessert-induced elation.
Resisting the urge to pour the whole thing into my mouth, I refrigerated and swirled in a half teaspoon of azera coffee. I also had to brush my teeth as a kind of safeguard for the dessert's existence.
But what would I use as a crust? It was refined-sugar free and vegan thus far, so biscuits and butter were out of the question. Hmm. Of course! The oven pinged. I'd make a baked oatmeal base.
I began toasting my oat, spelt and rye mix in a saucepan, adding pulsed hazelnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The kitchen smelled like heaven. I added water straight from the tap and the oats instantly softened and turned into a porridge-like consistency (definitely a new way to make my beloved breakfast). I emptied the goods into a lined baking tray and in it went to the oven at 150degrees.
Then I started writing this, so I had better go back and check it.
Deciding that a third filling layer of dark chocolate would complete the equation, I spooned another dollop of coconut cream into a bowl with some cocoa powder, plain chocolate chips and walnut oil. I warmed for 30 seconds and poured onto my freshly baked oat-nut base, leaving to cool while I went for coffee with a friend (conversation centred mostly around the cheesecake).
An hour or two later, I poured the glorious coconut-coffee mix into the tin and scattered some extra fine-ground coffee on top for good luck. I then made room for my Vegecake in the freezer, where it will now be kept until myself or another human of refined-tastebuds delights to have a slice.
Ingredients
Buttery biscuit [strikethrough] base
4 heaped tbsps oats or oat mix (spelt, rye, flaked quinoa, buckwheat)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Handful hazelnuts and walnuts, pulsed or finely chopped
Water
Toast the oats in a saucepan with the cinnamon until smeling fragrant and warm, add the nuts and cover with water straight from the tap. Fill saucepan about two inches thick and stir to develop a gooey and sticky mixture, not too thin but thick enough so that the oats are not completely solid and have water to absorb. Press into a lined round baking tin and bake until crisp in a 180degree oven. About 20 minutes, adding water if neccessary to make the oats soft with a little crunch.
Chocolate layer
2 tbsps coconut cream
Handful plain chocolate chips
Tsp cocoa powder
Tsp walnut/any oil
Mix the ingredients in 20second bursts in the microwave until melted and thick. Spoon onto the baked base and let cool whilst preparing the filling.
Creamy filling
Handful dates/figs, soaked in hot water
Can coconut cream
Mashed banana
2 heaped tbsps peanut butter
Sprinkle sea salt
1/2 tsp finely ground coffee
Pulse the dates in a food processor until blended into a jam-like consistency, then add all other ingredients to make a delicious light-as-air faux cheesecake topping. Sprinkle some extra coffee on top and swirl over the previous two layers. Freeze and transfer to the refrigerator when you're ready to serve. I prefer this just slightly cooler than fridge temperature; cold but still spoonable and creamy.
