Vegan Cheesecake

Makes one 10" cheesecake or six 4" cheesecakes*

Also works on graham cracker or Oreo crust.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup almond meal
• ¾ cup white flour
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t. salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey (if vegan, use maple syrup)
• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup Egg Replacer powder
• ¼ cup plus 2 T. hot water
• 32 oz. soy cream cheese (4 8-oz. tubs), such as Tofutti
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 t. apple cider vinegar

Preparation:

1.Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a 10” spring-form pan or, alternatively, six 4” spring-form pans.* Set aside.

2. Make the crust. In a small bowl, combine the almond meal, white flour, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, mix the oil and honey until well combined and add to the dry mixture until forming a slightly crumbly dough that just holds together.

3. Press dough into the bottom of prepared pan(s) and puncture in several places with a fork to prevent bubbles from rising. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until crust is a light golden brown. Set on a cooling rack to cool slightly.

4. Turn up oven to 400 F.

5. Make the filling. In a small bowl, combine the Egg Replacer powder with the hot water, stirring quickly with a spoon until mixture is consistent and slightly stiff. Set aside.

6. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add in the Egg Replacer mixture and beat on high speed for 2 minutes more. Add the vinegar and beat for 1 more minute on high speed.

7. Pour filling over crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes, then turn down oven to 275 F and bake for about 40 minutes more, or until top is lightly golden. Allow cheesecake to cool and then chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving. (Note: It is a good idea to open the oven door for about 3 minutes to let the heat out when turning down the oven. If the oven is too hot for too long, your cheesecake will puff up and then fall.)

*If preparing six 4" cheesecakes, bake at 375 F for about 25-30 minutes.

http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dessertsbeverages/r/Cheesecake.htm