Raspberry Cheesecake

Vegan cheesecake gets a variety of reactions from non-vegans. I told a few people in one of my classes the other day that I baked a vegan cheesecake, and they just stared at me apparently unable to absorb this oxymoron of a food. My sister (only true omnivore of my family) on the other hand, though she was a little skeptical at first, ate half of it and told me it was “marvelous”. In other words, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

Graham Cracker Crust:
What:
- 1 1/2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp. oil
- 1-2 tbsp. nondairy milk

How: Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and grease a 9 inch pie plate. Crumble graham crackers in a medium bowl. If crumbling by hand, press graham crackers into the bottom of the bowl with the tips of your fingers. Stir in sugar and salt once graham crackers are in small enough pieces. Stir in oil and the first tablespoon of nondairy milk. The mixture should not be too damp, but the crumbs should feel slightly moist, but not wet. If too dry, add the second tablespoon of nondairy milk. Press the mixture into the pie plate. It should cling to the sides. Bake for ten minutes and allow to cool before filling.

Cheesecake Filling:What:
- 2 8oz. containers (approx. 2 cups) vegan cream-cheese*
- 6oz. silken tofu (typically 1/2 a box)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 3 tbsp. flour

How: Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) once the graham cracker crust is sufficiently cool.

In a food processor, combine vegan cream-cheese and tofu. When the mixture looks smooth, add sugar and vanilla. Pulse for a minute, then add flour and continue to pulse until the mixture is completely homogenous. Pour filling into the crust and bake for an hour. (If the crust ever looks like it’s beginning to burn, fill a pan with a cup of water and place it on the bottom of the oven.)

Remove from the oven after an hour. The top of the filling should be lightly golden, puffed up, and slightly cracked. It will still seem somewhat gelatinous, but it will firm up when cooling. Leave it out for a minimum of 30 minutes to cool before placing it in the fridge, where it should stay for a minimum of three hours, though preferably overnight.

*Tofutti and Galaxy Foods both have vegan cream-cheeses, which I have not just seen at health food stores. They can usually be found for better prices at places like Market Basket and Stop & Shop.

Raspberry Topping:What:
- 12oz. frozen, or 2 cups fresh, raspberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tbsp. water

How: While the cheesecake is baking, place raspberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until most of the raspberries have a sauce-like consistency. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. The raspberries shouldn’t boil, but make sure they are thoroughly heated through before adding the cornstarch. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of water and add to raspberries. Stir for three more minutes, or until the mixture feels slightly thicker, then remove from heat. It will thicken up more while cooling.

Right before the cheesecake goes in the fridge, once the filling has sunken, pour the raspberry topping onto the cheesecake. Pour it in the middle of the bowl formed by the filling, then spread out to the sides. Then refrigerate the cheesecake.