Paleo/Raw Chocolate and Blood Orange Cheesecake

[Chainsaw13]

I've been trying to incorporate different dishes into my diet lifestyle, to keep things fresh and good for my blood sugar. Found a good Paleo blog that has some cool recipes, some of which are also raw dishes. This dessert intrigued me since it is mostly made from nuts. Blood oranges are in season, so I thought I'd use those. Original recipe found here. http://passionatepaleo.blogspot.ca/2...heesecake.html
I only made it one layer, and didn't put the chocolate topping on it for this first attempt. If making for friends, I'll fancy it up.


INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:
1 cup almond flour
4 pitted mejoled dates soaked until soft
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (you can use the dutch coco powder too, but cacao has more nutrients)

FILLING:
2 cups raw cashews soaked for 3+ hours)
1 cup coconut oil
zest/juice from 2 blood oranges
2 - 3 tablespoons honey (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 TBSP grated ginger
1 TSP Vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

- Place almond flour in food processor or chopper
- Add soaked dates and raw cacao powder, blend well until mixture is sticky
- Put the mixture into the bottom of a 7 inch spring form pan. Put the rest aside (You can line a square cake pan with parchment paper if you don't have a spring form pan)

- Zest orange and ginger and set aside
- In a blender combine soaked cashews, melted coconut oil, orange juice, vanilla and honey, Blend until fully mixed
- Add the grated orange and ginger
- Pour the mixture over crust in the spring form pan
- No baking required! Place in the fridge for a few hours or over night to let set up before serving, Enjoy!

It has a texture similar to cheesecake. The coconut oil flavor comes thru at first, but then you taste the orange and chocolate. I'm really enjoying it and will make this again.