Australian Natural Health Magazine - Nourish

Ingredients

Base

• 125 g LSA (or ground almonds)
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 75 g medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted if solid
• 1 egg white, lightly whisked

Filling

• 250 g ricotta cheese
• 150 g thick Greek yoghurt
• 400 g can pumpkin purée (or make your own)
• 60 ml runny honey, plus extra to serve
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp peeled and finely grated fresh root ginger
• Handful of fresh raspberries, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20-centimetre springform cake tin with baking paper.

To make the base, combine the LSA or ground almonds, ground ginger, dates and coconut oil in a bowl. Mix well, using your fingers to create a crumb, ensuring the dates are evenly distributed. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared tin, then brush it with egg white (this keeps the base layer crisp) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. To make the filling, put the ricotta cheese into a food processor or blender and whizz until completely smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend until combined.

Pour the filling over the cooled base, then bake for 50 minutes until the cheesecake is cooked through but still has a bit of a wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven, leaving the cake inside to cool completely. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours to firm up.

To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin, place on a serving dish and top with the raspberries. Drizzle with honey just before serving. This cheesecake is deliberately not overly sweet so, for those with a sweeter tooth, serve with a little extra honey on the side.

This recipe is an extract from The Midlife Kitchen: Health-Boosting Recipes for Midlife and Beyond by Mimi Spencer and Sam Rice is published by Hachette Australia in hardback ($39.99) and ebook ($19.99).