Cheezecake Roundup

Clearly, I like cheezecake.

Pumpkin

Chocolate (with Coconut Horchata variation)

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Yoghurt

Cheezecake brownies have been on my list for the better part of a year; I discovered this recipe while I was in hell school.  An email exchange with a  former coworker and the fact that that recipe is from a company with my same last name, I guess I was meant to make these.  Trader Joe’s does not sell silken tofu (as of October 2012); I learned that the hard way.  The glaze for my birthday cake, Chocolate-Covered Katie’s Deep-Dish Cinnamon Roll Pie, was less-than-stellar, texture-wise, because I improvised with sprouted tofu.  The Teej does, however, sell vegan cream cheeze and cashews.

These are secretly super-healthy: black bean brownies topped with cashew-banana cheeze.

Marbled Cheezecake Brownies

Inspiration: http://www.miceliskitchen.com/recipe/marbled-italian-cheesecake-brownies?print=true

Brownies modified from http://happyherbivore.com/2009/05/vegan-blackbean-brownies/ and http://www.gothicgranola.com/2012/04/april-fools-black-bean-brownies.html

Cheezecake modified from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, “Chocolate Galaxy Banana Cheesecake,” in Vegan Pie in the Sky (Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2011), 92-94.

1/3 cup GF oats

1/3 cup sticky rice

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained

2 bananas (about 3/4 cup banana; frozen is fine)

1 8-ounce container vegan cream cheese

4 ounces plain soyoghurt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons tapioca starch

1/2 cup sugar

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 16-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

2/3 cup agave nectar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (Dutch-process is fine)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a 9*13-inch pan with parchment (or line two 8*8-inch glass pans with parchment.

In a blender or food processor, process the oats and sticky rice in batches to make flour.  Sift into a large bowl and set aside.

In the same machine, process all the ingredients from cashews through sugar until uniformly blended and no big cashew pieces remain.  Transfer this to a large bowl and set aside.

Return to the machine and process the beans, pumpkin, agave, and vanilla until the bean skins have been obliterated.  Sift the cocoa, xanthan gum, baking soda, and cinnamon into the bowl with the oats and sticky rice, and whisk all the sifted ingredients together until combined.  Add the bean puree to the flour mixture and mix well.  Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips.  Transfer the brownie batter to the pan(s) of your choice.  Dollop the banana-cashew mixture on top and smooth out.  Take a knife and swirl the batter in one direction, then rotate the pan 90 degrees and swirl in the opposite direction.  Bake for 53-55 minutes until the cheesecake topping does not jiggle in the centre. Cool brownies in a partially-opened oven for 40 minutes (this prevents cracking due to too-soon exposure to cool air).  Use the parchment to lift the brownies from the pans to cool completely on a rack.  It is optional to remove the parchment before storing the brownies uncut in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  You may either serve them when completely cooled to room temperature or after chilling for at least two hours.

This cheezecake freezes well and travels.