Oh, for the love of food that brings you alive instead of putting you to sleep! Memories of too many Thanksgivings spent snoozing on the couch after that big meal sent me in search of something that might leave me giddy and perked up for an afternoon hike! And, believe it or not, raw food contributes to weight loss, even (in healthy amounts of course) the desserts. If you’d like to tempt your tastebuds with a raw recipe for a change, try this creamy, dreamy Pumpkin Cheesecake for an after dinner bliss pie.
Ingredients
Crust
* 1 1/2 Cups Pecans
* 1/3 Cup Raisins
* 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
* Salt
Filling
* 1/2 Cup Soft Dates, pitted and packed
* 1/2 Cup Agave
* 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
* 2 Cups Cashews, soaked 2 hours, drained
* 1/2 Cup Young Coconut Meat
* 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
* 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil, warmed to liquid
* 1/2 Cup Irish Moss Paste*
* Pumpkin Topping
* 3/4 Cup Pumpkin, chopped
* 1/4 Cup Carrots, peeled and chopped
* 6 Tablespoons Water
* 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
* 1/4 Cup Dates, soaked
* 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Directions
1. To make the crust: In a food processor, process pecans, raisins, cinnamon, and salt until the mixture begins to stick together. Press the crust mixture evenly in the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan.
2. To make the filling: process the dates, agave, and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Add the pumpkin, cashews and coconut meat and process until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil and Irish moss and process until well incorporated. Pour the filling onto the crust.
3. To make the topping: place the pumpkin and carrot along with the water and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the dates and pumpkin pie spice and blend again until smooth. Spread the pumpkin topping evenly on top of the filling.
4. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Servings: 8
Notes
* If you don’t have Irish Moss, don’t fret. You can make the cheesecake without it, but serve it straight from the refrigerator.
* If you have an aversion to eating raw pumpkin, peeled carrots can be substituted for pumpkin.
* To make a pumpkin drizzle instead of topping, replace the dates with 2 tablespoons of Agave.
(recipe courtesy Rachel Fracassa)
Image: creampuffsinvenice