Somebody really likes Linda Monastra’s vegan cashew cheesecake. But she doesn’t know who.
Monastra can’t even guess who submitted her dessert, one of many vegan and gluten-free treats she makes, for an award from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
“They (PETA) contacted us, but we never got an explanation,” said the trained pastry chef, who has been making desserts for the vegan Sprig & Vine restaurant in New Hope for the past 11 years.
Monastra makes cheesecakes all the time, topped with seasonal fruits and set in flavored crusts. The winning treat, which was named one of the top 10 Vegan Sweet Treats in the U.S., was made using cashew cream, with a ginger-cashew crust and a blueberry coulis seasoned with ras el hanout, a mix of Moroccan spices. It is topped with coconut milk whipped cream and the dessert is gluten-free.
A graduate of the Natural Gourmet culinary school in New York, Monastra makes vegan tiramisu that is popular with the restaurant’s guests, as well as chocolate cakes, ice creams made with coconut milk and Linzer tortes. She loves to develop new recipes.
To taste Monastra’s cheesecake you must visit Sprig & Vine, which is open four nights a week, but you could also make your own cashew cheesecake. This recipe is from loveandlemons.com.
1 cup walnuts
3 soft Medjool dates, pitted
½ tablespoon coconut oil
heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt
1½ cup raw cashews, soak 4 hours, then drain
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen raspberries, mostly thawed
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, dates, coconut oil and salt together until crumbly. Line an 8x4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper allowing 1 inch of overhang on each side. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Freeze for at least 15 minutes or as long as it takes to get the next layer ready.
2. In a high-powered blender, blend the cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, zest, vanilla and salt until completely creamy (about 1 minute). Pour the filling over the crust and smooth until even. Freeze until this layer is completely firm, at least 2 hours.
3. In the blender, combine the raspberries, lemon juice, maple syrup and chia seeds. Blend until smooth. Pour the raspberry mixture on top of the frozen cheesecake layer and smooth until even. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, remove the cake from the freezer and let it thaw for at least 20 minutes. Using the sides of the parchment paper, carefully lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice it into 8 to 10 slices. Let the individual slices thaw for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until fully thawed so that the middle layer is creamy and the raspberry layer is less icy. Re-freeze any remaining slices.
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