Raw Pineapple Cheesecake

Truth be told, I'm not much of a cheesecake fan.  I'm definitely more of a cake/ cupcake/ cookie/ cookie dough/ brownie/frosted baked goods kinda gal. In summation, I love all dessert, cheesecake being the exception. I just think that cheese and cake, while both generally spectacular, should remain separate from one another.

This cheesecake came to be after I overextended myself the other evening. Danny called me  following a particularly long  day at work,  and full of good intentions, I told him to relax and promised that he could put his feet up while I whipped up dinner and something "extra special" for dessert (remove mind from gutter, please). He surprised me by being extra excited about the "extra special" dessert.  Unfortunately I took this as a lot of pressure and to add, I'd forgotten that his fave dessert is, meh, cheesecake.

Being the opportunist that I am I saw a chance to experiment and attempt to pull l a fast one on him (because that's almost always entertaining). I remembered having been told that raw cheesecake was easy to make, bonus #1. Bonus #2 was the fact that I  wouldn't be tempted to eat it, you know, cause it's not my fave.

Outcome:

1. He scarfed it. When I broke down and told him that not only was is the dreaded V-word (vegan), it was also raw, he fell silent for a moment, and then cut another piece and simply asked "So I can have more and not feel bad?"  He then proceeded to ask me numerous times, " Babe, are you sure there's no cheese in this?"

2. I scarfed it. In my non-cheesecake loving opinion, this shiz is way better than the real deal. It's dense and fluffy (just go with this description please), and practically refreshing, if that's possible for something with "cheese" in the name. I also cut a second piece. Self control fail.

Let me say once more that I'm no cheesecake expert so perhaps my opinion is skewed, but Danny is well educated in the department and he loved it. So did the picky friends I pimped it out to. The other greatness is that it's totally easy to make and if you aren't into pineapple something is wrong with you but also you can probably replace it with another fruit. I'm thinking peach sounds fab.

Sidenote: the "cheese" part (eg, not the crust) is very liquid right out of the food processor/ blender. Don't worry, it'll completely set in an hour or so.

Raw Pineapple Cheesecak

Crust:

1.5 cups raw almonds

6 pitted dates

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine above ingredients in a food processor, streaming the vanilla in while the motor is running. When the mixture begins to ball on the sides it's ready. Transfer to a spring-form pan. If you don't have one, a glass brownie/cake pan is fine.  Use a flat bottom bowl...or your hands... to press the crust evenly into the pan. Work the crust up the sides.

Filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked 1 hour and drained

4 cups fresh pineapple, chopped

3/4 cup raw honey

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea/kosher salt

1 cup extra virgin coconut oil

Place above ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and process until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the sides down with a spatula. Pour half of the mixture onto the crust and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until the filling sets. Top with chopped pineapple and prepare to be blown away.