It is a tradition for us to have my grandmother over for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. This year would be no different. Some years we do traditional Irish dishes and a couple years we just go with cute green or shamrock themed foods. This year I decided to make these Raw Pistachio Cheesecakes in the shape of shamrocks. The pistachios give them a natural slight green color that isn’t over powering.
Raw Pistachio Cheesecake
Makes 6-8 depending on mold used
Crust
1/2c raw pecans
1/2 c Deglet Noor Dates (approx. 5)
1/4 c raw flaked coconut
1-2 TBSP raw cocoa powder
Filling
1 c raw cashew, soaked and drained
1 c raw pistachios, soaked and drained
1/3 c agave nectar
1/3 c extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP water
3 teaspoons vanilla extract or 2 vanilla beans, scraped
*If using a cupcake silicon mold make the crust first, press into bottom of tins, place in freezer while making cheesecake, and pour cheesecake on top. For molds like the shamrock I used that have detailing on top do the cheesecake first, freeze for 4 hours, and then press the crust on top of the cheesecake.
Begin by soaking the cashews and pistachios overnight. Place cashews, pistachios, coconut oil, agave, lemon juice, vanilla, and 2TBSP water into a food processor, and blend well (until completely smooth). Blend a little more, just to be safe. If you have a high power blender you can also try that. I used a blender for the first raw cheesecake I made but with a smaller amount for this one it wasn’t enough to keep it going. If making a bigger batch a blender works best and will make it the creamiest. For these I used a food processor and then divided the mixture in half and did smaller batches in a Magic bullet to get it really creamy.
Lightly grease a silicon cupcake pan, or silicon shaped pan liked used on these, with coconut oil. Divide the batter among the tins, leaving room for the crust about ¼”. For the shamrocks my mold only had 6 so I had a little extra cheesecake. If using a cupcake tin you will get 8.
To make the curst place dates, pecans, coconut, and cocoa powder in a food processor. Process until it holds together when you press it between two of your fingers. Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the cupcake molds (or on top of cheesecake if using a detailed pan), don’t go up the sides.
Freeze for 4 hours, or overnight. Keep frozen until 20-30 minutes before serving them. Remove cheesecake from molds and set on a plate for 20-30 minutes to thaw before serving. Enjoy!