Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

We've been berry picking and are in berry heaven! I can't believe we've never been before especially when there are so many berry farms within an hours drive. Now we have and there's no turning back.

 

You can imagine little blueberry Finn when he stepped between the first row of blueberry bushes. Not many were making it to the bucket. But with some team work the bucket was soon full (and he finally said "no" to a blueberry!) so we moved onto the strawberries.  It was like finding plump red fairies under the gorgeous green leaves. I think veggie daddy was getting the most excited and the strawberry bucket was soon overflowing. The kids were all berried out and ready for a blueberry milkshake, blueberry ice cream and blueberry buckle. Time to balance with a little savoury so we popped into the veggie barn next door for plenty of locally grown supplies.  What a gorgeous way to spend the morning as a family. And we'll certainly be back.

So what to make...

I recently saw this gorgeous Raw Strawberry Cheesecake on the Thermomix Recipe Community so today I knew this was the was to celebrate all things strawberry.  It's delicious, quite rich and hard to believe it's not full of sugar and cream cheese.  In fact, I think's it's way better the alternative.


Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

250g macadamia nuts (I used 150g macadamia and 100g almonds)
100g dates
45g coconut
400g cashews soaked for at least 1 hour then drained
juice and pulp of 2 large lemons
50g Agave nectar
100g coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch sea salt
80g water
1-2 punnets fresh strawberries

Base 

• Place macadamias, dates and coconut into Thermomix bowl and blend for 30-40 seconds on speed 6 until well combined and forming a moist dough
• Press into lined 20cm spring form cake tin and place in freezer

Filling

• Place all remaining ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend together until smooth and creamy for 1 minute on speed 7
• Pour on top of base and set in the fridge over night
• Remove from cake tin and decorate as desired!

 

Lemon Curd and Raspberry Crumble Slice

Lets start with something sweet........ yet for a good cause....

Lemon Curd and Raspberry crumble slice

A wonderful friend hosted a fundraiser high tea on the weekend for Cuppa for HeartKids Australia.  As her inaugural event it was a relaxing, intimate morning tea with a gorgeous group of girls. We drank tea in our favourite tea cups, ate delicate finger sandwiches and savouries, and most of all enjoyed an abundance of sweet treats.

My favourite tea cup

In order to raise money cakes were made and books and brand labelled clothes were donated for selling.  I had so many cake ideas to choose from but decided to try my first Persian Love cake.  And wow!  But I will try to contain my excitement about this treat until I make it for my sister's birthday in a few weeks....

As a sweet treat to share at the high tea I decided upon a Lemon Curd and Raspberry Crumble Slice.  My parents have an amazing lemon tree that is filled with the biggest, juiciest lemons year round and I had recently been given a lemon slice recipe from another great friend (the one who also gave me great pleasure in introducing me to my ... thermomix). 

Now as you will get to know I simply cannot stick with a recipe completely so I gave it a few tweaks.  The original was from delicious magazine, sounded devine and I had been looking for an excuse to make it.  Rather than store bought lemon curd, I made my own quick and easy thermomix version with extra zest which I include the recipe for soon (amazing on vanilla ice cream says veggie dad).  I reduced the sugar in the recipe and with the help of my budding chef daughter, sprinkled with raspberries.

And here is the result...

  

Lemon Curd and Raspberry Crumble Slice

Base:

45g raw sugar       
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
160g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tbls cold milk
approx 500g lemon curd (recipe to follow)

Crumble:

80g almonds (milled to almond meal)
50g plain flour
2 tbls raw sugar
50g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
1 egg yolk

Make the base...

Mill raw sugar to icing sugar (5 sec speed 9)
Add flour, baking powder and butter and mix until resembles fine crumbs (15 sec speed 6)
Add yolk and milk and use dough setting until mixture comes together (30 sec)
Turn out into a greased and lined lamington pan, firmly press down and chill for 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 180° then bake pastry for 30-35 mins until golden.  Cool in pan.

Meanwhile make the crumble...

Place almonds in Thermomix and mill (10 sec speed 7)
Add flour, sugar and butter and mix until resembles coarse crumbs (15 sec speed 6)
Add egg yolk and combine (5 sec speed 6)
Spread lemon curd over base, then scatter over crumble mixture.
Sprinkle raspberries over top.
Bake a further 25-30 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!