Have a bite of citrus perfectly complemented by the tartness of raspberry, balanced by the natural sweetness of agave and maple, swimming in a sea of creamy filling atop a crispy crust.
Yield: 12 servings
Crust
2 cups graham cracker pieces or crumbs (or 1 sleeve of graham crackers)
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grind the graham crackers in a food processor or blender. Add the oil, sugar and water and mix until combined. Press into a 9-inch pie pan or spring form pan. Bake for ten minutes. Let cool and then fill.
Filling
3 packages (12.3 ounces each) silken tofu, drained
1 package (8 ounces) tofu cream cheese
1 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons lime zest (or zest of 2 limes)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Topping
1 cup berry juice
2 tablespoons agar powder
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Process the tofu, cream cheese sugar, agave, maple syrup, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla, cornstarch and lemon extract in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. Prepare the cheesecake for a water bath by wrapping the bottom of the spring form pan in aluminum foil first so that there are no leaks when you put it in the water bath. Place the pan in a roasting pan with 1-2 inches of water that come up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Pour the batter onto the crust. Bake for an hour and 20 minutes or until the sides pull away from the edges but the middle is not completely firm. Let cool and then refrigerate all day or overnight before serving. Keep refrigerated.
To make the topping, cook the juice with the agar powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it boils, around 7 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the raspberries and mash them up. Let the mixture cool in the pan for about a half hour. Spread the mixture over the cooled cake then chill it for at least an hour before serving the cheesecake.
