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.

Lemon Gems

Nigella says her children call these fried egg biscuits, cheeky monkeys.

I had some lovely organic lemon curd in the fridge I bought at the markets a little while back, it was one of those beautiful packaging impulse sale items. Honestly I have little need for lemon curd in my life or my hips but these cookies are a treat. I am proud to say they were break apart in your fingers shortbread  tender & had a very grown up not too sweet & just a little tart flavor…perfect for morning tea or rainy days when you need something sunny to cheer you up.

I must say they were only really good on the day they were made however & would probably halve the recipe next time to avoid waste.  I actually ran out of lemon curd & for the rest of the dough added a handful of shredded coconut flesh for a bit of texture, they were also delicious

Lemon Gems

(From Nigella Lawson’s “How to be a Domestic Goddess”)

Ingredients:

• 125g vegetable shortening
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 275g ground almonds
• 25g cornflour
• 6-7 tbs lemon curd

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/350f
2. In a large bowl beat the vegetable shortening, butter & sugar together. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, zest & salt.
3. Gently fold in the flour in 2 batches, then the almond meal & cornflour. (take care not to be too heavy handed or the dough will become very sticky)
4. Form into balls the size of large cherry tomatoes & place on a lined baking sheet. Make an indentation with your thumb & chill for 10 minutes
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden & imeediately  fill each biscuit with 1/2 tsp lemon curd. When they’re all filled leave on a wire rack to cool.

It has been raining for nearly 2 weeks now, and as much as I love the rain it is beginning to effect my mood. Have you noticed my recent need for “sunny” everything lately? From sunflowers to tart little lemon cookies..I just need it to be yellow & perky. What do you bake when you need a little pick me up?

Tropical Bowl Arrangement

I thought I would post something cheery to help with your Monday-itis.  After my weekend, I think I needed it too.

This is my big tropical arrangement from last Thursday. The difficulty is steadily increasing in our practical work at school. The arrangements are getting bigger and the time we need to complete them in is getting shorter. I brought this bowl in from home, it’s kind of shaped like a peanut which was, well..challenging. The flowers in the arrangement consist of oriental lilies, gerberas, bird of paradise & some funny purple things I can’t remember the name of, I think they look like toilet brushes. All the foliage was foraged from the garden & to be honest..a few other people’s gardens too! (I don’t think they would mind)

I think I am getting better & more confident in my choices every day. I am currently seeking work experience & am really looking forward to getting some more practical experience on the job. If there are any Gold Coasters reading with upcoming weddings, the school and I may be able to help with cost price wedding arrangements. Email shannon@bakeandbloom.com for more info.

We do have a wedding project coming up soon which is very exiting.

On the baking front Mr Bake & Bloom & I are embarking on a bit of a detox at the moment, you may notice a couple of yummy healthy recipes splashed about here & there but I promise there will be plenty of buttery treats as well.

Have a sunny Monday xoxo Shannon

Baba Ghannouj

There is no greater gift someone  can give me then something picked from thier garden & warm from the sun. (hint-hint, to anyone out there with a blackberry bush currently in fruit) Mr Bake and Bloom & I plan to move out of our flat in the city & into a 4 bedroom house later this year because, desipe being the daughter of a landscape designer & a floral design student I have no garden & it breaks my heart. I can’t wait to begin planting & hope to become as close to self sustainability as possible. Gifts from the garden to me are so deeply rewarding, I cant wait to have a garden of my own so I can pass my own produce along.

One of the women at work had an abundance of eggplant growing & no clue as to what she might do with those beautiful purple fruit. She brought me a whole plastic shopping bag of them & I knew I had to make Baba Ghannouj, which is a well seasoned middle eastern eggplant & tahini dip. It is quick to make (once the eggplant have been cooked) healthy & has a rich smokey flavour.

If you have never tried it you might find the flavour a little overpowering at first but it is wonderful for spreading on toasted pita bread or dipping croutettes.

Baba Ghannouj

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 4 roasted cloves of garlic, mashed (or if you’re time poor a bit of garlic seasoning works well)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice + the zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp Tahini
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200c/400f
2. Cut the eggplant in half & prick with a fork. Then place on a cookie sheet and put into the hot oven.
3. Roast the eggplant + garlic for about 40 minutes or until very soft inside.
4. Cool completely. (I do this in the fridge overnight with some olive oil wrapped in tin foil)
5. Scoop out the eggplant’s pulp and place in a bowl, squeeze out the garlic & add remaining ingredients into the bowl. Mash with a fork or use a stick blender, puree until the dip comes together but still has some texture.
6. Refrigerate. Serve chilled with toasted pita bread, drizzled with olive oil (mine had some harissa in it also)& sprinkled with paprika.

So next time someone gifts you a heaping bag of eggplant from their garden, give them back some baba ghnnouj & make them smile.

Baklava tarts with berries

This recipe is downright amazing. For a start, when you tell people you’re making baklava tart for desert they will quickly squeal with glee ”I LOVE baklava!” and then you tell them it is filled with a creamy filling & topped with raspberries & honey, you now have a friend for life.

lets face it, sugar, nuts & spices are yummy…and anyone who doesn’t think so either has an allergy or is some kind of crazy & dangerous person. it’s all this crammed into a few crunchy layers of filo with berries and cream. I don’t know why I haven’t been making this for years. They’re a great edition to dinner parties and picnics as the filo cases can be made in advance & kept in an airtight container in the pantry for a day or 2 and the filling could also be made in advance & kept in the fridge.

Baklava Tarts with Berries

(adapted from abc’s delicious summer edition)

 Ingredients:

• 40g walnuts, toasted
• 40g pistachios, toasted
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 12 sheets filo pastry, thawed
• 100g unstated butter, melted
• 1 cup pouring cream
• 1 cup softened cream cheese
• 1tsp icing sugar
• 2 x 125g punnets of raspberries
• icing sugar to dust
• honey to drizzle

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170c/340f. Line a cookie tray with baking paper
2. Pule the nuts, sugar & spices in a food processor to finely chop
3. Lay 1 filo sheet on a clean bench, brush with a little melted butter & sprinkle with sugar mix, lay another filo sheet on top, repeat with butter & nut mixture. Fold in half to form a 24cm square, brush with butter & roll edges in to form a crust. (don’t worry if the crusts explode a little, they still look very pretty once baked)Brush with butter again & cover with a damp tea towel & repeat to make 4 tart cases. Transfer to the baking tray & bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. **note, if they puff up quite a lot in the oven, don’t worry about it too much, just crush the middle down with a spoon when you put in the filling
4. While the shells bake whip the cream until soft peaks form then add chopped cream cheese & icing sugar & whip until combined. Refrigerate until needed.
5. Allow the tart shells to cool, fill with cream cheese mixture & top with raspberries, a dusting of icing sugar & a liberal drizzle of honey.

The recipe says this serves 4 but they are very greedy portions, I cut mine in half & they were still massive. I really think you could cut them into quarters if you wanted.