Quince Cheezecake - vegan, sugar free, gluten free, mostly raw

Tangy, creamy, dreamy...

Once it's been in the freezer for a bit, this dessert firms up beautifully for slicing!

With two quinces left to use, I wondered what on earth we could dream up that isn't already all over the blogosphere? Quinces need to be cooked: a tart, perhaps? But then I remembered that the traditional pairing of quince is with cheese. Hmmmm... oh yes; cheesecake! And so this was my mission last weekend. We've made some pretty good vegan cheesecakes before, including raw (see https://theyogivegetarian.blogspot.com/2013/07/sunny-summer-fruits-tofu-cheesecake.html   https://theyogivegetarian.blogspot.com/2016/02/far-out-lime-and-berry-tofu-cheesecake.html and here https://theyogivegetarian.blogspot.com/2013/02/twice-baked-chocolate-tofu-cheesecake.html ) but for a fresh perspective, I looked to Blendaholic's Youtube channel for inspiration. I made the base according to her recipe, but made some tweaks to the filling: I pre-soaked the cashews for about three hours, I cut out the coconut milk and I measured the dry ingredients in grams rather then cups. The topping is my own. If you don't have quinces, pears would work just as well. If you want to make this dessert completely raw then sliced fresh fruit or chia jam would be the way to go.

Ingredients:
Base:  140g almonds (1 cup)
           120g stoned fresh dates (1 cup)
Filling: 3 cups cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours in enough water to cover them
             3/4 cup melted coconut oil
             1/2 cup lemon juice
             1/2 cup maple syrup
             1 tsp natural vanilla essence
             a pinch of salt
Top: 2 large quinces
         about 1 tab maple syrup, depending on the sweetness of the quinces
         melted dark chocolate/ sugar- free raw chocolate (optional)

This is the kind of recipe where you start from the top, then make the base, then the filling. See how under the next photo...

• First soak the cashews in enough water just to cover them.
• Now make the quince compote for the topping; you'll need it to be completely cold by the time you use it. Peel, core and dice the quinces and cook in a minimum of water until pureed; I used a potato masher to help things along. Stir in the maple syrup to taste. I prefer things a little tangy.
• In a food processor or blender, whizz the dates and almonds until the whole thing comes together in your hands. Press it into  a loose-bottomed flan dish lined with greaseproof paper. It should be about 5mm thick. (My dish is about 7" in diameter and the base and topping fitted perfectly.) Set it aside to chill in the fridge.
• Blend all the filling ingredients together and pour on top of the base. Put it in the freezer until set. Once it's been frozen it defrosts but stays nicely firm. 
• When the filling is firm. add the fruit topping and drizzle on some melted vegan chocolate if you like.

(Makes 8 slices; they are pretty rich- you might want to make them a little smaller...)