AVOCADO AND LIME CHEESECAKE

YOU HAVE NOT LIVED UNTIL you try this cheesecake!!! I was randomly surfing the web one day looking for healthy desserts and I stumbled upon this one created by Hemsley & Hemsley (these ladies create healthy recipes and they recently opened up their cafe in Selfridges…hmmm, I think I just might pay them a visit very soon). I had never made a dessert using avocado so I was interested to see how it would turn out and I was stunned at how ammmaaaazzing it tasted! It’s truly my new favourite dessert and I haven’t stopped raving about it to my family and friends. The cool thing about this cheesecake is that it does not contain any cheese, processed sugar or flour, so I have zero guilt when I eat it; and it’s a brilliant dessert for people who are diary/gluten intolerant. Do you know the feeling when you discover something new and you can’t imagine your life without it? Cue Carly Rae Jepson, “Before you came into my life I missed you so bad, I missed you so bad, I missed you so so bad!”

So to make this cheesecake the way Hemsley & Hemsley make it click here, otherwise see below for instructions (I did make a few changes). Also, check out the Hemsley & Hemsley website for more healthy recipes.

 

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Ingredients

The base:

• 125g (4½oz) pecans, (I didn’t soak or dry them, I just used them raw)
• 45g (1½oz) desiccated coconut
• 70g (2½oz) cacao nibs
• 185g (6½oz) pitted dates (approx 32)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted and at room temperature

The filling:

• 560g (1lb 2½oz) avocado flesh (from approximately 5 medium-large avocados)
• 200ml (7fl oz) lime juice (roughly 8 to 10 limes)
• 175ml (6fl oz) coconut oil, melted and at room temperature
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 190g (6¾oz) honey
• 2 punnets of blueberries (this isn’t in the original recipe and it’s just for decoration)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C and line the base and sides of an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Rinse the blueberries and drain in a colander.
3. Place the pecans and desiccated coconut on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Place in the oven for seven to eight minutes, until toasted.
4. Transfer the pecans & coconut into a food processor and add the rest of the base ingredients. Blend until the mixture is crumbly (don’t let it go completely smooth) and holds together when pinched.
5. Pour this mixture into the cake tin and press this down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon, ensuring it is neat and flat where it meets the tin.Put the tin into the fridge while you prepare the filling.
6. Place all of the ingredients for the filling into the food processor and blend until the mixture is completely smooth and silky. Check for taste – add more lime juice, zest or honey according to preference, but it’s best to keep this deliciously tangy.
7. Remove the cake tin from the fridge and pour the filling over the base. Use a paper towel to pat the blueberries dry then arrange on top of the filling.
8. Cover the cake tin, using a plate or clingfilm, and return it to the fridge for a few hours or overnight (I actually put mine into the freezer for 1 hour in order to set the filling quickly).
9. To serve, run a knife between the tin and the cake and carefully push the base up from the bottom. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

 

I didn’t eat all of the cheesecake by myself, although I was tempted, but I will confess that I did have some for breakfast – it’s that irresistible! Enjoy!