Recipe by Charlotte Pike
As cheesecakes go, this one is really rather virtuous. It’s made using natural, nutritious ingredients, and is free from wheat, gluten and refined sugar. Using labneh in the cheesecake mixture gives a slightly more acidic finish, not too dissimilar from a sharp cream cheese.
From Fermented, the tasty new book by Charlotte Pike.
Photography by Tara Fisher, published by Kyle Books. Price: £16.99
Ingredients
Serves 12
You will need a 25cm round springform cake tin.
For the base:
- 375g nuts of your choice, such as cashew nuts, or a mixture of cashew, almonds and walnuts
- 150g pitted dates
- 75g coconut oil
- a few drops of vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 550g Sweet Labneh, drained weight (page 67)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75g raw runny honey, plus extra to drizzle
Method
Line the base and sides of the cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. To make the cheesecake base, place the nuts and dates in a food processor and blitz until the nuts form small chunks. Add the coconut oil and vanilla extract and blitz briefly again, just until the mixture starts to bind together. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press down well with the flat of your hand to form an even layer. Cover with clingfilm and transfer to the fridge to firm up while you make the cheesecake filling.
To make the filling, combine the labneh, vanilla extract and honey in a large mixing bowl and beat together until evenly blended. Spread the mixture over the base and level the surface with a palette knife.
Cover the surface loosely with foil and transfer to the fridge to set for a minimum of 8 hours.
When you are ready to serve, remove the tin and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Drizzle some honey over the top and cut into slices.
This is a lovely dessert to make for a gathering. It’s best eaten within 3 days.
