You won’t believe it’s not cheesecake – Blackberry & Lemon Tofu “Cheesecake” with Ginger Crust

Something you may not know about me is I know a lot of vegans, not only from my many years working in organic stores & shopping at organic markets but much of my family are also vegan either for ethical or nutritional reasons. I myself was a vegetarian for many years until a combination of desire & laziness overwhelmed me.

Mr Bake & Bloom and I are having a bit of a vegan detox/trim down month & it has been surprisingly easy. This month I have made roasted portobello mushrooms stuffed with quinoa, tomatoes & tofu cream cheese, vegetarian chili, falafel kebabs, wholemeal cranberry almond biscotti. It started out as something I planned to do for a month, but I can honestly say I could eat this way much longer, I feel more energetic & I find myself thinking about food less & eating much smaller portions. While I don’t plan on becoming a vegan I really see the benefit in cutting down the amount of animal product from my daily diet.

I was sceptical about the idea of tofu cheesecake. For a start….I hate tofu, I mean I loathe the stuff. I will even pick it out of my miso soup. But as Mr Bake & Bloom has pointed out “you love weird hippie food” so I guess it was worth a try. Now, the result well.. I’m not going to lie, it’s not the best cheesecake you’ve ever eaten but with literally half the calories, no sugar & no animal products. I know there will be a lot of people who would appreciate this cheesecake. It tastes good, it tastes cheesy & light & lemony. So take that cheese! I don’t need you!

Blackberry Lemon Tofu Cheesecake with Ginger Crust

Ingredients:

• 300g firm tofu
• 150g tofutti “better than cream cheese”
• Zest & juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup blackberries (fresh/frozen or canned)
• 1/2 cup splenda (or use whatever sweetener you prefer, I know this is a very personal choice to some people)
• 250g vegan ginger-nut biscuits
• 1 heaped tablespoon wholemeal flour (if you’re intolerant to gluten use buckwheat flour or something similar)
• Equivalent to 1 egg, egg replacer (follow box instructions) or if you’re not bothered just 1 egg
• 1/2 cup soy margarine softened to room temp

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180c/135f
2. Process the ginger-nut biscuits, flour &  soy margarine until sandy (if, like me you don’t have a food processor. Smash up the cookies with the flour with a rolling pin either in a zip lock bag or in a large bowl then mix in the butter either with a wooden spoon or a paddle attachment on a mixmaster)
3. Press the crust mixture into a 25cm quiche pan using a water glass to press it in firmly. Refrigerate for at least 20 mins
4. Whisk the drained tofu, tofutti, lemon zest & juice & splenda until smooth & beautiful. Gently fold in the blackberries.
5. Pour tofu mixture into the crust & bake for 50 minutes
6. Allow to cool & refrigerate for at least a few hours before serving

So it’s not cheesecake but it tastes a heck of a lot like it, if you didn’t know I don’t think you would guess. So whether you are lactose intolerant, vegan or just watching your girlish figure, give tofu a chance like me…I still find it slightly creepy to look at in my miso soup, but I’ll eat it this way any time.