Maple Pecan Cheesecake

Spirit of the Dawn Cuisine

Maple Pecan Cheesecake

yields 16 rich slices loaded with maple

A wonderful cake for birthdays and holidays!

Coat the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan

with a small amount of Coconut Oil.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to size

and line the bottom of pan.

Pecan Crust

In a food processor add:

2 cups (6 1/2 oz.) Pecans, unsoaked

6 - 8 Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped

(4 1/2 oz. pitted dates)

1/2 cup Shredded Dried Coconut

1/4 cup Cacao Nibs

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

2 pinches Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt

Process till nuts begin to release their oils

and mixture forms a ball in processor.

There should still be some crunch and texture

to this crust along with the creaminess.

Press into bottom of prepared springform pan

till evenly distributed and flat.

Pop into freezer to firm while you prepare the filling.

Maple Filling

In a high-powered blender add:

1 pound (3 rounded cups) Raw Cashews,

soaked for 6 hours,

drained, rinsed well, and drained again

1 1/2 cups Grade B Maple Syrup

1/2 cup Lemon Juice

1 cup Coconut Butter

1 Vanilla Bean,

slit with a knife lengthwise and the goodies inside scraped out with a spoon

(save the rest for a smoothie)

1/4 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt

Using the tamper or plunger,

begin to blend the filling ingredients

first on medium and then on high speed.

Motor will heat up warming the mixture slightly.

Turn off blender and continue to plunge

to help melt the Coconut Butter and incorporate it into the mixture.

Resume blending and plunging on high speed

till mixture is very rich and creamy smooth.

Pour filling into prepared springform pan

scraping out all of the mixture from the blender.

Using a spatula, spread filling evenly over crust.

Decoration

Decorate crust with 16 perfect Pecan Halves

placed in a circle on the outside perimeter of the top

decorating the cake and marking the place to slice

as each pecan half will fall into the center of a slice.

Place on a level shelf in the freezer to firm for several hours.

Cover with foil when cool.

Remove to refrigerator hours before serving

or remove from freezer about 1 hour before serving to bring to

refrigerator temperature.

To serve, place pan on cake platter and unbuckle to remove sides.

Enjoy!