Berry cheesecake
“Beetroot powder may seem a bit ‘out there’ and unnecessary for the home cook but it has some great uses and lasts a very long time. Add it to home made kombucha and raspberry smoothies to make them look Barbie pink. It is also fabulous at lifting desserts, sprinkle it on through a fine sieve so you have a gentle dusting or throw it at an angle for a more painterly effect. ”
Prep time - 30 minutes (plus 1 hour freeze time)
Cook time - 0 minutes
Difficulty - Difficult
Serves/makes - 4 portions
Base Ingredients
25g dark chocolate
50g ground almonds (I toasted almonds in the oven then ground them in a chopper, this adds to the depth of flavour but isn't essential)
Base Method
Put boiling water into a large bowl, set a smaller bowl on top just touching the water, melt the chocolate in this bowl and then add the ground almond, mix well.
Put this into the base of your moulds and pat down with the back of a small spoon. I used a triangular food mould sat on top of a small piece of baking paper on a plate. Chill this in the fridge while you make the cream.
Top Ingredients
100g frozen raspberries, defrosted and sieved to remove the juice
6 tablespoons / 90ml coconut oil
200ml coconut milk
2 drops cardamom spice drop or a pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
1 New Roots Camembert style vegan cheese, cut the rind off and discard
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons beetroot powder
Top Method
Melt the coconut oil using the method used for the chocolate.
Blend the oil with the milk, cardamom, cheese and sugar. Pour it into your moulds. Drop the raspberries into the moulds and pinches of beetroot powder. Swirl the powder into the cream using a toothpick or similar.
Freeze for around 1 hour but no more than 4. If you do have to leave it longer remove it from the freezer at least 10 minutes before you want to eat it.
Use a knife to loosen the cheesecake from the mould. Decorate the plates with beetroot powder, I also used coffee grounds but that is optional. The bitterness does counter balance the sweetness of the dessert but I know it's not to everyone's liking.
Put the cheesecakes on a sheet of baking paper and dust with beetroot powder. Place carefully on the plates using a spatula.