Food & Wine
Raw blueberry and macadamia cheesecake
No oven? No worries! This decadent dessert is a deceptively easy win for those who aren’t usually gifted in the baking department. Vibrantly hued blueberries create two distinctive colour layers, for a knockout presentation and flavour.
Serves: 10
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw macadamias
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- Fresh blueberries or raspberries, to garnish (optional)
For the nutty coconut base
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts or almonds
- 5 dates, pitted
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Method:
- Soak the macadamias in water for at least two hours, or preferably overnight.
- Grease a 20 cm spring-form cake tin with coconut oil.
- Put all the coconut base ingredients in a food processor and grind together until the mixture resembles a sticky crumble. Press the mixture firmly into the cake tin and set aside.
- Drain the macadamia nuts and place in a high-speed blender with the maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut oil and vanilla. Blend to a thick, creamy consistency, then pour half the macadamia mixture into the cake tin.
- Add the blueberries to the remaining mixture in the blender.
- Blend on high speed until the mixture is a vibrant purple colour and the blueberries have dissolved. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smoothing and levelling the top with a spatula.
- Cover with plastic wrap and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Decorate with extra blueberries or raspberries, if desired. Cut into slices to serve.
- This cheesecake will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Recipe and image courtesy of Taste for Life by Animals Australia. Published by ABC Books, available in store or online.