Raw White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

This recipe is so good, it has to be shared. Its my first attempt at making a raw cheesecake and I was really happy with how it turned out. I bought a few mini springform cake tins and this recipe made 3 small cheesecakes. If you are making a large one then I suggest to triple the recipe.

For the Crust:
1/2 cup brazil nuts
1/2 cup shredded cocounut
pinch of salt
1 tbsp cocao powder
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cocao nibs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 punnet of freshly chopped strawberries
1 cup of cashews (soaked overnight)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

For the Strawberry Sauce:
1/2 punnet of freshly chopped strawberries
1 tbsp honey

Process all the crust ingredients in a food processor until combined and crumb like. Press into the bottom of your springform cake tin, if yours isn't a springform then make sure it is lined with clingwrap. Set aside.

Blend all of the filling ingredients in a high speed blender until completely smooth. Pour over cust and chill or freeze until ready to serve.

To make the strawberry sauce, blend all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and either pour on top or drizzle around the bottom of the plate.

Raw Pecan Mini Tarts with Chocolate Ganache

I made this as a large tart today but ended up with too much mixture, so I decided to make a few mini tarts as well. They turned out beautifully and are just the right portion size for one person. Delish!

Ingredients for Crust
2 cups pecans
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup cocao nibs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cocao powder
1/2 teaspoon himalayan sea salt

Ingredients for Filling
2 cups pre-soaked cashews
1 cup cocao powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon hinalayan sea salt

Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and blend until evenly moist. Line mini tart pans with cling wrap and spread the crust with your fingers.

Combine all filling ingredients in the (cleaned) food processor, blending until very smooth. Pour filling into the crust and freeze or refrigerate until firm (1 hour). Garnish each tart with a pecan.

Chocolate Mousse Parfait

This dessert is so rich and chocolatey... and guilt free. Its made from avocados, but you can't taste them. The avocado gives it a beautiful smooth creamy texture.

Chocolate Mousse
2 large avocados
4 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocao powder
1 tbsp lucuma (optional)
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
cinnamon (to taste)
pinch of himalayan sea salt

Combine ingredients in blender and process until you get a thick velvety consistency.

Cashew Cream
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight)
3/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla essence

Blend cashews with 1/2 cup water to make a paste. Add remaining water to the consistency of cream. You can make this cream using other nuts, macadamia's would be nice. Cashews work well because they don't need to be peeled.

Assembling
Layer with chocolate mousse, cashew cream and fresh berries. You can decorate with flaked coconut and a sprig of mint. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour before serving.

Carob Walnut Cookies

One of my favourite raw food books is Ani's Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo. Its an awesome read, she explains what a raw food diet is and some of the benefits. She also goes through ingredients and explains what healthy fats are and why our body needs them. She introduces you to super foods like Maca Powder, and Mesquite Powder, things I hadn't heard of before exploring raw food recipes. There is also a section on Equipment and tools.

Every recipe I have tried from this book has turned out perfect every time. Here's one I tried last week. It was so quick and simple to make. I hadn't tried using carob before but I loved it. I actually prefer it to chocolate.

1 cup raisins
3/4 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup raw carob powder
1 teaspoon mesquite powder (optional)
1/8 teaspoon himalayan sea salt

Combine all ingredients in the food processor, process until the dough begins to stick together. Press the dough onto baking paper and cover with another sheet. Flatten using a rolling pin to desired thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Alternatively, you could make balls.

Place the cookies on a lined tray and place in the freezer to firm up for about 30 minutes. Transfer to the fridge for serving later. Will keep for many weeks in the fridge or freezer, thaw for 5 minutes before eating.

Mesquite Powder
From ground pods of the mesquite tree, mesquite powder contains amino acids, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. It also has fructose, which doesn't require insulin to diges, preventing spikes in blood sugar levels. It contributes great flavour and is a natural sweetner, especially when used with chocolate.