Saturday 21 August 2010

Vegan tofu "cheesecake". low cholesterol but just as tasty:-)

When I became vegan I was determined not to give up the foods I enjoyed - I love my food, including desserts, and cheescakes were always amongst my favourites.

This very easy mock cheesecake, based on one served at On The Eighth Day in Manchester, hits the spot each time, and is the one I make most often.  The top can be decorated in any way you choose, I like to use poached frruit, particularly blackcurrants, as the contrast in colours is so dramatic, but you go for whatever you like - chocolate curls?  strawberries?  raspberries?  mandarin segments?  Indulge yourself safe in the knowledge that your cholesterol intake is fine, despite the indulgent taste - yay:-)

Base:
300g of either sweet biscuit (cookie) crumbs, or, as I prefer, plain rye crackers
175g melted margarine, I use soya

Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted margarine.  Told you it was easy!

Filling:
1 x 297g pack of soft, firm tofu - drain off the excess liquid
2 x lemons - you need to zest them, then juice them
50g cornflour
3tblsps golden syrup, or other sweetener
450ml water
You may want to add a little sugar to taste, depending on your tastebuds, this is not a super-sweet dessert.

Pack the crumb base into a well-greased 8" diameter flan dish.  I use one with a loose base so that it's easy to de-mould, but then, I'm lazy:-)

In a pan, heat the water, golden syrup and cornflour until boiling, make sure you stir constantly to avoid lumps forming - you do want a smooth cheesecake, don't you?  Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened.

Remove from the heat and add the strained tofu and lemon zest and juice.  Blend well, I use a stick blender in the pan, then pour onto the base and place in the fridge to chill and set.

It's as simple as that.  It tastes lovely and fresh as it is, but, as I say, you can tart it up with fresh or poached fruit, in which case, serve a little of the fruit's liquor with it as a sauce.

Why do I feel hungry now????????  Enjoy:-)

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I love that it doesn't use a lot of sugar.

    hope you are having a good weekend,
    Ali

    ReplyDelete
  2. This seems so simple. What could the cornstarch be substituted with?
    ( corn allergy)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yum yum, and of course its not just low cholesterol, its no cholesterol!

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks for visiting my blog! i do miss cheesecake, so i will have to give yours a try!

    ReplyDelete
  5. KleinsteMotte - You could use any finely milled flour that you have, as long as you end up wiht a smooth white, or at least pale coloured, sauce which will firm up when chilled. I'd try a finely milled rice flour, or soya, or gram flour, which would give a more golden hue, but since it's a lemon cheesecake, that would be ok. Let me know how you get on:-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sara, it really is good, and easy, so no excuses, get non-cooking! :-)

    The Womble - I daren't say no cholesterol as, depending on the biscuits used, there might be - some people use biscuits with butter, for example. Hope you try it and enjoy it:)-

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ali, it isn't a sickly sweet dessert, which I like, but it's easy for folks to add more if they have a sweeter tooth - as I used to have years ago! When I think back to the years that I used to eat a whole 200g bar of milk chocolate in a day, effortlessly, it makes me cringe!!!

    In fact, when I think of cheesecakes, I used to eat the baked variety when they first came over here, and they weren't too sweet, so this is harking back to those far off days. Do I sound like Methusalah??????? I remember the dinasaurs well :-)

    Enjoy the weekend:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I can vouch for tofu cheesecake - as strange as it sounds! You should make one and post a photo :)

    ReplyDelete

Sadly, I've turned on comment moderation as I recieived a pornographic advert from another country. Unless your comment is particularly unpleasant, rest assured, it will appear on the blog!

Thank you for your understanding :)