Zesty limes flavour this deliciously creamy Paleo cheesecake. You don't get a dessert that's much healthier than this one. Filled with creamy avocados, macadamias and coconut cream, then topped with a drizzling of dark chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios and lime zest. All this is sitting on a chocolaty nut and coconut base. You may like to read my blog post about this yummy cheesecake.
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Line the bottom of a 20cm spring-form cake tin, by removing the base piece and placing a sheet of baking paper over it and clip close the sides. (Leave 2 - 3cm of paper hanging out for easy removal).
To make the base: Add almonds to a food processor, process for 10 seconds to roughly break up the nuts. Add dates, coconut, cacao powder, coconut oil and salt. Process until the mixture starts to come together in clumps. Transfer to the prepared tin and press down very firmly with hands, then smooth over with a spatula. Place in the freezer to firm up while preparing the filling. Wipe out the food processor bowl.
To make the filling: To the clean bowl add macadamia nuts and process for 10 seconds to break them up. Add the zest from 2 limes and the flesh. Process for a few seconds to break down the limes.
Add coconut cream, avocado flesh (use fresh avocados without brown spots, old ones may turn bitter), maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Process for 20 seconds, scrape down bowl and continue blending for a further 20 - 25 seconds or until you have a smooth and creamy consistency, with no grainy bits.
Sprinkle gelatin evenly around the bowl over the cream mixture. Process for 6 - 8 seconds to incorporate well.
Remove tin from the freezer and pour filling mixture evenly over the base. Place back in the freezer to set but not freeze solid, the firmer the easier to remove from the tin (approximately 1 hour).
Prepare to serve your cheesecake by running a warm knife around the insides of your tin. Carefully remove the spring sides, slide cheesecake off the base using the baking paper, peel paper off and place on your serving plate.
Melt chocolate right before decorating. Use a small spoon to dip into your melted chocolate and run lines of chocolate across the top, then across in the opposite direction to form a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and extra lime zest. Serve straight from the fridge. (Cover leftovers and store in the fridge.)
Almonds have 240mg of calcium in 50gms, as much as is found in 200ml of milk. Nuts are a great protein snack. Eat them raw or activated and it's best to avoid store bought roasted nuts that have been cooked in canola, sunflower or similar vegetable oils. When ground finely almonds make a wonderful nut meal/flour for grain-free baking.
I use Medjool dates in my recipes, I like the flavour and softness of these dates. A bonus, there are no preservatives used with these dates. They blend easy when adding to recipes and give a slight caramel flavour.
Medjool dates are an excellent source of dietary fiber, rich in potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B6.
In the majority of my recipes where I use dried coconut, I have used finely-shredded desiccated coconut (unless I have stated otherwise). Make sure you are purchasing unsweetened and organic - many regular brands contain preservatives (sulphur dioxide).
Raw cacao powder and cocoa are made from the same source but are so different. Cacao powder is raw, unsweetened and in it's natural state, it has a stronger flavour and you would use less than cocoa powder. It is so good for you; high in dietary fibre, iron and is a good source of magnesium and antioxidants. Cocoa has been heated and processed, the high heat when processing kills all the minerals and vitamins.
Coconut oil is one of the most nutritious fats to cook and bake with. Use organic extra-virgin coconut oil which is unrefined and unbleached from non GMO coconuts. Coconut oil has a high smoking point and it is slow to oxidize due to its high saturated fat content, thus, resistant to going rancid. Some studies suggest coconut oil helps with digestion, including irritable bowel, tummy bugs, candida and parasites due to this oil containing short term medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a healthy form of saturated fat.
Raw pink Himalayan salt crystals is unlike common table salt which can be a highly refined industrial byproduct, otherwise know as sodium chloride. Himalayan salt is completely pure and may naturally balance the body's alkaline/acidity and regulate water content. In addition Himalayan salt helps in the absorption of nutrients from food and contains many trace minerals for healthy cell structure. I purchase fine pink Himalayan crystal salt so I can use it in my shaker and for cooking.
Macadamia nuts are tree nuts that have a subtle, butter-like flavour and creamy texture. The Macadamia tree is indigenous to Australia. Macadamias are full of heart-healthy fats, they have more omega 3 fats than any other nut. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. There is no need to soak macadamias like many other nuts and they make a very creamy delicious dairy-free milk.
Lime zest is the finely grated green skin of the citrus fruit lime.The lime skin is where you will find the oil. To make lime zest, use a fine zest grater so you can avoid the bitter white pith under the skin.
A lime is a green citrus fruit. There are several species of the lime tree. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and calcium and are used to add flavour to foods and beverages.
I use this extensively throughout my recipes; from soups to dinners to desserts and cakes. I think it is the best dairy-free alternative. It gives so much flavour and creaminess to a wide variety of dishes. When purchasing in the can read your labels, even some organic brands contain gums and thickeners, choose full-fat not low-fat versions. I use Honest To Goodness organic cream 400ml and Ayam which isn't organic but has no additives or thickeners and is much creamier and thicker than other brands (that's why I love it), it comes in 400ml, 270ml and 140ml size cans.
It is often mistaken for a vegetable, the avocado is a fruit. It has a rich buttery flavour and smooth texture. Avocados are a good source of healthy fats, vitamin C, E and B6, potassium and dietary fibre, also useful amounts of iron magnesium and folate.
Maple syrup is an earthy, sweet tasting amber liquid that is produced by boiling down the sap of maple trees. Use organic 100% maple syrup which is a natural food sweetener, not a flavoured maple syrup. Pure maple syrup contains a decent amount of some minerals, especially manganese and zinc, some traces of potassium and calcium but it does contain a whole bunch of sugar. I try to reduced the amount of sweetness in each recipe to the lowest possible without compromising taste. Feel free to adjust to your liking. I use maple syrup in place of raw honey when I don't want the strong honey flavour coming through in a recipe. I have paleo cookies and desserts in my cookbook made from whole food ingredients with natural sugars but please don’t overindulge. Use as a treat only for special occasions.
Use an organic vanilla extract (not an essence) or vanilla powder. Vanilla makes a big difference to the flavour of a recipe, I recommend keeping to the quantities I have stated in a recipe. I prefer Madagascar pure vanilla extract manufactured by ‘Simply Organic’ and for powder, Vanillamax 100% pure, finely ground Madagascar vanilla beans produced by Bulletproof.
Raw pink Himalayan salt crystals is unlike common table salt which can be a highly refined industrial byproduct, otherwise know as sodium chloride. Himalayan salt is completely pure and may naturally balance the body's alkaline/acidity and regulate water content. In addition Himalayan salt helps in the absorption of nutrients from food and contains many trace minerals for healthy cell structure. I purchase fine pink Himalayan crystal salt so I can use it in my shaker and for cooking.
Ensure you use unflavoured grass-fed gelatin in my recipes. ‘Great Lakes’ is a good brand, it's made from Kosher grass-fed beef. When using gelatin to thicken desserts, use the Great Lakes red carton. The green carton (which is cold water-soluble and does not thicken) I use to add to smoothies and drinks for extra protein. Another brand I like is Zint which I purchase online from iherb. Gelatin is pure collagen protein, which is good for bone and joint care. It is also excellent for skin, hair and nails (helps the wrinkles from the inside).
In some of my recipes I have used Paleo approved dark chocolate drops/chips, they are dairy, soy, and gluten-free (my favourite brands are, 'Absolute Organic' or 'Chef's Choice' certified organic 70% cacao, purchase online or from health food stores). I also used 70 - 85% organic dark chocolate blocks, they can be broken into pieces or melted for recipe. I also make my own chocolate from: cacao butter or coconut oil, raw cacao powder and sweetened with 100% maple syrup, pinch of sea salt and vanilla extract.
The pistachio nut is a member of the cashew family. The fruit has a hard, creamish exterior shell and the edible kernel or seed has a mauvish skin and light green flesh. Pistachios are a rich source of protein and dietary fiber, they also contain B vitamins, thiamin and calcium. I use raw pistachio nuts (kernels) in my recipes.
Lime zest is the finely grated green skin of the citrus fruit lime.The lime skin is where you will find the oil. To make lime zest, use a fine zest grater so you can avoid the bitter white pith under the skin.