You may have noticed I review recipes as much as I post recipes. And while I do like to share my recipes (I have a new creation in the works right now) I also like discuss the numerous ones already out there. And often I will review recipes From Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon because almost everyone I know owns this recipe book and cooks from it. Since it has over 700 recipes it just makes since to share my favorites (or least favorites) with my friends so you don't have to make all 700 by yourself to find the best.
Now for the good part. Let's talk dessert.
Just the other day a friend and I were discussing how we rarely take the time to make an awesome whole food dessert. The reason being that if we are taking the time to make something from scratch out of high quality ingredients then it should be for dinner. But what if the dessert was nourishing and not just a not-as-bad-for-you-as-the-original-version substitute (think organic oreo, it's still not "good for you" it's just not as bad).
And then it came to be that I had extra homemade cream cheese in my refrigerator that needed a purpose. Flipping through my NT cookbook on page 566 I found the recipe for All-Raw Cheese Cake that I had been wanting to try. Just then the phone rang and my father-in-law gave me the assignment of bringing a dessert to the Super Bowl party. Providence! Lord bless him because he really is a brave soul asking me to bring food. Not that my food is bad by any means but one must be willing to be adventurous and think outside the Sara Lee box.
This recipe is pretty simple and does not require rare hard to find ingredients. The only difficult part is the fact that a food processor is needed and although they are simple to use, they are a pain to clean. Overall I would rate this recipe as easy. After all, you don't even have to bake it!
The crust is made of pureed almonds and dates. Oh YUM! It even stuck together without baking, and I was sceptical in the beginning. The cheese portion of the cake was delicious, rich, creamy, and everything you dream a cheesecake should be...until I added the fluffy egg whites. It wasn't "bad" after the egg whites but it did dilute the sweet richness. Next time I would leave the egg whites out but if you are looking for a less sweet and lighter, fluffier product then by all means add the egg whites.
Now, there is a saying around here when it comes to sweets. "Is it Christina sweet or real people sweet?" After all, I do find a carrot or sweet potato plenty sweet. I think without the egg whites the level of sweetness is intensified and adequate. The recipe only calls for 1/2 cup of raw honey for a large cheesecake and I found the product wonderfully rich before the egg whites. After the egg whites all flavors were diluted. I might even consider a little more honey if using the egg whites. But to be honest I probably didn't put the whole 1/2 a cup because I never do put the full amount of sweeteners in recipes. It's just a habit.
Overall this a decadent nourishing food! Dates, almonds, raw milk, homemade cream cheese, and a little raw honey are an amazingly wonderful way to get in a varitey of vitamins, minerals, good fats, protein, and fiber. I think we have discovered how to have your cake and eat it too! You had to know that cliche was coming .
