Dirty, Sexy, Cheesecake

Ok, so how have I not talked about dessert yet?  Yes folks, I am a confirmed junk food vegan.  I love sweets, adore them!  I try not to eat them.... but I fail!  In fact my sweet tooth is a huge part of the inspiration behind my diet change.  I knew that my lust for all things sugary would be the final nail in my diabetes coffin.  My hope is that by changing my diet now, I will avoid diabetes altogether, and be able to keep my veganized desserts.  *crosses fingers*  So far I am seeing all sorts of health benefits despite my desserts, so I think it's working.  Only time will tell! 

But enough about me... Let's get on with the cheese cake!

Generally I find most vegan cheesecake recipes to be gross.  I think this is largely due to the common use of silken tofu.  It's just not the same texture as cheesecake at all, and I personally think the baking process gives it a weird aftertaste that is reminiscent of play-doh.  Seriously.  The aftertaste is exactly what I remember the smell of play-doh beingas a kid.  This is a great smell when dealing with play-doh, but as a taste, not so much.  Ugh.  So after much searching, and some modification as as of my own, I came up with this:

Do you see that?  Isn't it amazing??  It has the consistency of cheesecake, the taste is as close as I think you're gonna get, and it looks cute, too.  I am actually not a huge cheesecake person, but I loved this recipe.  Here's what you need:

    1 graham cracker crust (many brands are vegan, just read the back)

    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    16 oz. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
    1/3 cup sugar
    4 EnerG egg substitute "eggs"
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    juice of one lemon

Combine cream cheese, sugar, "eggs", vanilla, and lemon juice in a blender, blend until smooth.  Pour into pre-made crust.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until set. Let cheesecake cool.  Place in refrigerator and chill for 12 hours. (should be firm to the touch)

Finally, the topping.  Now this part is pretty difficult.  Yeah, you need to be a culinary wizard to do this.  Are you ready?  You will need:

1 pkg Frozen blackberries

Sugar (to taste)

Cut up the blackberries

Stir in sugar till it makes a "juice"

Chill in the fridge till it's time to serve

I like the blackberries because they have a nice strong flavor, and really drive the cheese cake taste home.  They are mildly tart, which is offset by the sweetness of the sugar.  Yum!  Hope you enjoy!