My first experiences with agar were difficult. Generally it’s hard to readjust yourself to a diffrent way of living. One day you decide you give up eating all those things that were your everyday order. My whole life I used gellatin. Agar was something strange I even didn’t know how to use it. Jellies made with it differ a liitle from those made with gellatin. I might say – they are less bouncy.
Tofu cheesecake served cold, no baking. Looks like a real cheesecake and this jelly on the top! I like it. What about you?
Ingredients:
Bottom:
- 70 g almonds
- 90 g dried aoricots (sulphur dioxide free)
- 50 g cashews (buttered)
- 50 g coconut oil extra virgin
- 100 g maple syrup
- 60 g dessicated coconut
Filling:
- 100g maple syrup
- a 4cm piece of crushed dried lemon zest (or fresh cut)
- 400g mango
- 40g freshly squeezed orange juice
- 400g tofu
- 50g cashew butter
- 50g coconut oil extra virgin (melted)
- 30g agar (plant based gelling agent derived from algae)
Jelly:
- 250g freshly squeezed pomegranate juice (like lemon, you’ll need about 4 fruit)
- 1/2 tsp agar
Instructions:
- Prepare a a cake tin 26cm diameter. Line it with a baking paper.
- Make cashew butter and transfer to another dish. Instructions here.
- Palce all “bottom” ingredients in a blender and mix on high speed to obtain as small parts as possible. Clean the mixing bowl.
- Press down firmly and evenly obtained light little bit oily mixture in a prepared baking dish with palms.
- Place lemon zest in a blender and crush. Such a small amount will be difficult to grind.
- Add remaining “filling” ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth and fluffy cream forms. If you have a cooking blender you may set 110°C temperature during mixing for 15 minutes to activate agar. If not transfer tofu-mango paste to a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the temperature and keep heating for 15 minutes stirring all the time.
- Cover bottom layer with tofu paste with activated agar, flatten with silicone spatula or spoon and set aside. When cooled put into the fridge and start preparing jelly.
- Cut pomegranates in halfs and using citrus squeezer make pomegranate juice. Try not to rotate the fruit but rather press to obtain as much as possible sap.
- Set on the hot-plate in a pot, add agar and bring to boil. Reduce power and keep heating for five minutes. Let cool for a while and pour onto your cake.
- Put in a fridge for few hours or in a freezer for one hour. Serve cooled.
Enjoy your meal!