Zuddha Girls’ Raw & Vegan Cheesecake Pie with Blackberry Coulis

PIE-A-DAY #13

This recipe hails from the Zuddha Girls, Dani Larson and Sophie Jaffe, who create raw vegan cleanse ‘retreats’ paired with yoga, in order to promote health, energy gain, mental clarity and weight-loss. You can learn more about their mission at www.zuddhagirls.com, where you’ll also find information about their 4-part “uncooking” series at the Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories (the first class of the series is Friday, June 24th at 6:30pm – Decadent Desserts).

When the two of us met by ‘chance’ a few years ago, we knew that the world had brought us together in order to save it. We had both experienced cancer in our families and knew that there was a connection between what we eat and how well we are. But we knew that we couldn’t just sip on wheat grass all day– we are foodies by nature! We had to come up with staple dishes that not only promote health but also taste delicious. Thus, this raw, vegan Cheesecake Pie was born. It was one of the first desserts we made together, and it took the unique palates of each of us in order to perfect it. Two years later, the two of us are the proud parents of Zuddha, a business that is dedicated to using these kinds of delicious foods to introduce clients to the wonderful world of healthy eating. A taste of Cheesecake Pie will have you banging on the door to health…

Keep reading for the recipe…

CHEESECAKE PIE WITH BLACKBERRY COULIS

Servings: 12 slices of a large pie, or 4 smaller pies with 6 slices each

Equipment needed: Food Processor/High Speed Blender; Spring Form Pan (1 large or 4 small)

For the Pie Crust

2 cups of mixed raw macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts and pecans

1/2 cup dates, pitted

1/4 cup dried coconut

For the “Cheese”

3 cups chopped cashews, soaked in water for at least 1

3/4 cup lemon juice (or lime juice-we used limequats for this! so delish)

3/4 cup honey/agave

3/4 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt

For Blackberry Coulis Sauce:

1 bag frozen blackberries (or raspberries/strawberries– or a mixture of all three!)

1/2 cup dates

Directions

1. To make the crust, process the nuts and dates in the food processor. Sprinkle dried coconut onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Press crust onto the coconut. This will prevent it from sticking.

2. To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil (do not use microwave), vanilla, sea salt, and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste.

3. Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table.

4. Place in the freezer until firm. Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator. (the more defrosted the better the taste)

5. To make the raspberry sauce, process raspberries and dates in a food processor until well blended. (Do not use a blender for this or the raspberry seeds will become like sand.)