Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

These mini strawberry cheesecakes have all of the deliciousness of a regular cheesecake but come in a perfect made-for-one size for when that sweet craving strikes. A strawberry and cashew cream mixture is set atop a crust of pecans and dates and then topped with decadent dark chocolate. Yum!

MINI STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES [VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 cup pecans
• 3/4 cup large Medjool dates, pitted
• A pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1/2 of 1 12-ounce pack of frozen strawberries
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or strawberries

PREPARATION

1. Thaw the strawberries.
2. Place the pecans and dates in a food processor and blend until it turns into a sticky dough.
3. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to form the crust.
4. Cut the crust in mould-sized circles and place them in the bottom of the mould. I used a silicone mould which is super easy to take the cakes out of. If you are using a hard mould, line it with parchment paper first.
5. Put the mould with the crust in the freezer.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

1. Blend all the filling ingredients in a blender. Add to the mould and keep in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:

1. Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a bain-marie. Alternatively, you can melt them in a microwave but be very careful not to overheat them.
2. Pour the melted chocolate over each piece of cheesecake. Top with the unmelted chocolate chips.

TO SERVE:

1. Keep in the freezer. Take it out and keep at room temperature approximately 20 minutes before serving. How frozen you like it depends on your taste, so feel free to experiment with the timing.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/mini-strawberry-cheesecakes/