Making delicious food from foraged ingredients should be available to everyone, which is why I'm so happy you bring you this gluten free, sugar free raw vegan rose & raspberry cheesecake recipe!
I'm so in love with this recipe and everyone who's tried it has adored it too. The base is crumbly and chocolatey (and would make fantastic energy balls!) while the cheesecake is incredible creamy and tastes delicately floral, sweet and divine! This cake lives in the freezer and individual portions can be taken out around 10 minutes prior to eating.
RAW ROSE & RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE Recipe:
Yield: 10 CHEESECAKE SQUARES
FORAGING DIFFICULTY: SUPER EASY
Prep Time: CASHEW SOAK + 30 min + 2 HOURS FREEZE
FORAGING YOUR FLOWERS:
You'll need some rose water for this recipe. While you can buy this in most shops, it's herbal and magical qualities are much stronger if you make your own! To do so, you'll need one jar full of rose petals.
The petals from any rose can be used, whether they're wild roses or garden roses. Remember, the stronger scent the rose has, the more fragrant and powerful your rose water will be. You'll also want to pinch out the white tip of each petal before using it, this will make sure your rosewater is sweet and not bitter.
If you'd like some more tips on foraging for roses, or you'd like to see how to 'pinch out the white tip' from the petal, check out the foraging section of the video below (skip to 00.25 for rose picking / ID and 01.50 for pinching out).
INGREDIENTS:
For the Rosewater :
1 Jar Rose Petals
1 Shot Vodka (preservative - optional)
Water
For the Cheesecake Base:
4 Medjool dates (with stones removed)
20g almonds
15g cocoa powder
20g coconut flakes
10g cacao nibs
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cheesecake 'Cream' Layer:
1 cup cashews (soaked for 6-8 hrs OR boiled for 5 minutes and left to sit until cool)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 tsp rose water
3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
3/4 cup raspberries (thawed)
INSTRUCTIONS:
ROSE WATER -
Slow method - Pinch out the bitter white tips from your rose petals (this will make your rosewater sweet and fragrant). Then put then in a jar and cover with water. Leave in a sunny conservatory/window for two days. When the water is coloured, strain the solution, discarding the petals and when cool, add your vokda to the liquid.
Fast method - Pinch out the bitter white tips from your rose petals (this will make your rosewater sweet and fragrant). Then put then in a jar and cover with water. Pour into a saucepan and gently simmer for 30 minutes, or until the petals have lost their colour. Strain the solution, discarding the petals and when cool, add your vokda to the liquid.
If you've made your rosewater with vodka, it will store for up to 6 months in an airtight jar in the fridge. Without vodka, it will last for around 1 week.
BASE LAYER -
First, line an 8" by 4" cake tin with oiled cling film or parchment paper.
Put all of the base layer ingredients into a food processor and blend until you have a mixture that holds together when squeezed in the palm of your hand. Then, pour into your tin and press down flat.
'CREAM' LAYER -
First, prepare your cashews. You can either soak them overnight or you can boil them for around 5 minutes and leave them (still soaking) in the pan until the water is cool.
Add all of the 'cream' layer ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. You may need to use a high powered blender for this, a food processor will not leave your cream layer completely smooth and it may remain grainy.
Finally, pour your cream over the base layer. You can top with some extra raspberries or even some raspberry coulis if you're feeling fancy! Now pop your cake in the freezer and leave to set for around 2 hours before eating.
NOTES:
Storage: Your cake lives in the freezer! I find it's best to wait until it's set, cut it into squares and then pop it back into the freezer. Then, you can take out individual cheesecake squares when you want them! They're best left to thaw slightly for around 10 minutes before being eaten - if you can wait that long!
Are you going to give this cheesecake a try? Let me know in the comments below! I'd love to see your results, share a picture on Instagram and #foragedbyfern