Pumpkin Swirl Macadamia Cheesecake

I love the holidays.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New years are just a few of those days when it's fun to break out all the fall recipes and start baking. And it's also a fun time of the year for creating. Here is a recipe I made for Thanksgiving to take to my parents home and I love that not only was it so delicious but that it was so easy to transport too. Now that's my kind of dessert. I hope you like it as much as my family and I loved it too.

 

 

Pumpkin Swirl Macadamia Cheesecake

Recipe~

( Broken down into sections)

Crust~

2 c. Pecans (but feel free to use your favorite nut meat. I envision a wonderful macadamia nut crust in the future too.)

1 tsp ginger powder

15 dates

Food process nuts and ginger powder until chopped, but not too fine. Add dates and process until mixture comes together and dates are processed. Pour and press into a greased 8-9 inch spring form pan or two 6 inch greased spring form pans. Set aside.

Filling~

1 stick vegan butter

1/2 c. flour

Over medium heat on stove, melt butter and add flour while stirring constantly. Turn up heat to high and stir while cooking for 4 minutes. Set aside and cool.

2 1/2 c. soaked and drained macadamia nuts (soak overnight and drain)

12.3 oz soft tofu

1 tsp pumpkin spice mix or allspice

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c. agave nectar ( I used the dark nectar)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c. cream from the top of a can of coconut milk ( tip* leave can in fridge, opened overnight for a nice thick cream)

In a food processor, process all ingredients above until nuts are nice a smooth. While processor is still processing, add flour/ butter mixture in and mix until incorporated.

Then add:

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp corn starch

Add baking powder and corn starch to food processor and mix until incorporated.  Pour half of the mixture in a bowl and
Stir in:
7 oz canned pumpkin to that bowl only.

 Pour both plain mixture and pumpkin mixture into prepared crusts or crust.  Using a knife, swirl the pumpkin mixture into the plain mixture being careful not to stir up the crust.

 

 

Then Sprinkle top with mixture of:

1 tbs cinnamon

1tbs sugar

 



 Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees then turn down oven to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until set up and light brown on top. Check center with tooth pic to make sure it's done. Cool.

 

Eat, enjoy and Love!   Happy Baking and Making~

Eggnog Macadamia Cheesecake

Being a new vegan or having an allergy to dairy can make the holidays difficult.  When we are away with a family of non-vegans, traveling or just simply out of ideas, a recipe like this cheesecake can make the un-merry very cheery.  Another wonderful thing about this cheesecake is that it travels well too.   It was delightful to see everyone vegan and non-vegan give this cake a try and to my excitement, it went over really well.  I have to say, not only was I a happy camper but the sauce on this cake was heavenly and almost sinful!

 

This cheesecake really kick started our Christmas spirit and made us want to trim the tree immediately and break out the Silk nog. It's really that Merry.

 

 

 

Eggnog Macadamia Cheesecake~

( Broken down into sections)

Crust~

2 c. Pecans (but feel free to use your favorite nut meat. I envision a wonderful macadamia nut crust in the future too.)

1 tsp ginger powder

15 dates

Food process nuts and ginger powder until chopped, but not too fine. Add dates and process until mixture comes together and dates are processed. Pour and press into a greased 8-9 inch spring form pan or two 6 inch greased spring form pans. Set aside.

Filling~

1 stick vegan butter

1/2 c. flour

Over medium heat on stove, melt butter and add flour while stirring constantly. Turn up heat to high and stir while cooking for 4 minutes. Set aside and cool.
 

Next step:

2 1/2 c. soaked and drained macadamia nuts(soak overnight and drain)

12.3 oz soft tofu

1 Tbs brandy

1 Tbs rum

1 tsp rum extract

2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 c. agave nectar ( I used the dark nectar)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c. cream from the top of a can of coconut milk ( tip* leave can in fridge, opened overnight for a nice thick cream)

In a food processor, process all ingredients above until nuts are nice a smooth, about 10 minutes. While processor is still processing, add flour/ butter mixture in and mix until incorporated.
 

 Then add:
1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp corn starch

Add baking powder and corn starch to food processor and mix until incorporated. Pour into prepared crusts.
Sprinkle with a mixture of:
1Tbs nutmeg
1Tbs sugar

   Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees then turn down oven to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until set up and light brown on top. Check center with tooth pic to make sure it's done. Cool.

 

Drizzle~

1/2 c brandy
1/2 c rum

1 cup granulated sugar

To make drizzle, add all ingredients to a pan over the stove and cook over medium heat for about five minutes or until just going from thin to a slightly thickening consistency.   You want this to be on the thicker side, not too wet and not too thick either. Let it cool slightly and drizzle your slices of cheesecake right before eating.

 

 

 This is why I like a smaller cheesecake, because it makes for a taller, prettier cake I think.

 

Here I let the drizzle sit in the pan too long.  But that's okay.  It was crunchy yet still very flavorful, like candy.  Did I mention I'm a candy-o-holic.  Yep, I am.  I also like cake...very much so.

 

And cheesecake even more...

Enjoy!

 

Citrus Burst Vegan Cheesecake

I'm back. Did you miss me?  I missed me, my home and my kiddos (furry kids included) but I really enjoyed the last  two trips that I just returned from. And while on the first trip, I was inspired to create this recipe while in the airport waiting to fly home. Yes, inspiration comes from everywhere and that was the point of the very first trip I took so let me explain.

Last year I won a contest with the Duncan Hines, a Pinnacle Food company.  I created a quick and simple recipe but it was packed with flavor.  Even though Duncan Hines has lots of vegan foods, this particular recipe is not but it you'd like to check it out, it's called the "Holy Spumoni Cake" and it's on www.duncanhines.com.    With this big win, I won a trip back to New Jersey and was cooking with their Chef, Chef Joe who did some of his formal training in France. It was an amazing trip and it was absolutely life changing and a once in a lifetime thing. So I thought.  Then at the beginning of this year, Duncan Hines contacted me again and asked if I'd like to come to New Jersey once again, their treat, and they had some really exciting things planned along with 8 hours of pastry making, baking, science in foods, cooking and decorating classes.  Oh my gosh was I in heaven. Chef Joe taught us you can be inspired by anything and took look at trends, new flavors, vintage flavors...pretty much everything for inspiration too.  I most definitely know how something can inspire because our local grocery store had run out of spumoni ice cream and that was the reason the spumoni recipe above simply popped into my head. Now, I am an inspiration junkie. My new hobby is spending my days looking for something to inspire.

While in New Jersey, I was able to extend my trip for an additional week and my hubby flew in to meet me.  I decided that we should do a foodie tour from New Jersey to Maine and back.  The whole trip I was looking for the foods and flavors of the New England states, and tried to get familiar with their way of life.  It was completely amazing and because of this trip I am once again transformed. So enough about this and let's get baking...

 

Citrus Burst Vegan Cheesecake

 

Recipe~

( Broken down into sections)

 

Crust~

2 c. Pecans (but feel free to use your favorite nut meat. I envision a wonderful macadamia nut crust in the future too.)

1 tsp ginger powder

15 dates

 

Food process nuts and ginger powder until chopped, but not too fine. Add dates and process until mixture comes together and dates are processed.  Pour and press into a greased 8-9 inch spring form pan or two 6 inch greased spring form pans. Set aside.

 

 

 

Filling~

1 stick vegan butter

1/2 c. flour

Over medium heat on stove, melt butter and add flour while stirring constantly.  Turn up heat to high and stir while cooking for 4 minutes.  Set aside and cool.

 

 

2 1/2 c. soaked and drained cashews (soak overnight and drain)

12.3 oz soft tofu

Zest from 1 lime, 1 orange, 1 grapefruit and 1 lemon ( save these fruits for juice to make syrup)

2 Tbs lime juice

3/4 c. agave nectar ( I used the dark nectar)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c. cream from the top of a can of coconut milk ( tip* leave can in fridge, opened overnight for        a  nice thick cream)

 

In a food processor, process all ingredients above until cashews are nice a smooth. While processor is still processing, add flour/ butter mixture in and mix until incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp corn starch

 

Add baking powder and corn starch to food processor and mix until incorporated. Pour into prepared crusts.  Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees then turn down oven to 350 degrees  for 20-25 minutes until set up and light brown on top. Check center with tooth pic to make sure it's done.  Cool.

 

 

 

 

 

Drizzle~

Juice from all left over fruits

Granulated sugar

Cornstarch

 

To make Drizzle, squeeze juice from the remainder of the fruits and cook in a pot on med-high heat. Add 1 Tbs of sugar, stir and taste.  If it's not sweet enough for your taste, add 1 Tbs more and repeat until it's your level of sweet that you like. ( Be careful not to burn your tongue while tasting.)  In a small cup, add a little of the cooked mixture to 1 tsp of cornstarch and mix.  Add that back into the hot pot and stir until it gets thick. Depending on the size of your fruits and the amount of juice they produce, you may have to add another tsp of cornstarch to thicken it.  You want this to be a thick drizzle, not too wet and not too thick.  Let it cool slightly and drizzle your slices of cheesecake right before eating.
 

  Follow this blog to Stay Tuned in for other cheesecake recipes like~ Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl, Peanut Butter, Berry and Oreo Cheesecakes too.

 

Enjoy and Happy Eating...

 

 

 

My Inspiration trip at Duncan Hines.  Forever inspired, forever grateful and forever a baking, cooking and eating fanatic....

(Can you find me? Hint~ Third in from the right, flip flops and capris)