Gingerbread Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust:
4 cups whole vegan gingersnap cookies (crunchy ones)
1/2 cup spicy peanuts or substitute plain peanuts (or use another 1/2 cup cookies)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plant-based butter, melted
Directions:
Pulse gingersnap cookies in a food processor until coarse crumbs are formed. Add nuts and sugar and continue pulsing until finer crumbs are formed.
Drizzle in butter and pulse just until moist crumbs are formed and mixture begins to clump together. Distribute mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch (not 8 inch) spring form pan and press evenly onto the bottom and 2 1/2 inches up sides of pan. A sturdy glass is helpful for this task.
Freeze while you prepare filling.
Ingredients:
Filling:
14 ounces extra firm tofu, drained
16 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon Chinese five Spice containing anise, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger (or substitute gingerbread spice mixture)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange scented sour cream (recipe follows)
Cranberry compote (recipe follows)
Garnishes (list follows)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse and wipe out bowl of food processor. Process tofu and cream cheese until smooth. Add all remaining filling ingredients and continue processing until creamy and silky smooth. Pour into frozen crust and gently smooth top.
Place cheesecake on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours or until set around edges, jiggly in center, and very lightly browned around edges. Cover edges with strips of foil during baking to prevent over-browning.
Open oven door halfway, and allow cheesecake to cool completely in the oven, about 3 hours. It will sink slightly to form the perfect depression to hold the topping and will firm up as it chills. Chill for an hour, uncovered, and then chill, covered, overnight. (This will prevent condensation from dripping on surface of cheesecake.)
Prior to serving, top with orange-scented sour cream followed by cranberry compote and garnishes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake if desired and transfer to serving platter.
Ingredients:
Orange-Scented Sour Cream:
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 medium-large orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Ingredients:
Cranberry Compote:
8 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Directions:
Simmer all ingredients together in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop, and most of moisture is absorbed. Chill overnight and drain well before using. Save juice for another recipe.
Garnishes:
Orange slices, swirls of plant-based whipped cream, cinnamon sticks, star anise, roasted pecans
*Created exclusively for Tofutti Brands, Inc. by Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter.
