Ana’s fair trade raw choc 'cheesecake'

This deliciously decadent recipe is from 'The Big Fair Bake', a campaign run by Fairtrade and Trade Aid to inspire Kiwis to consider using fair-trade-certified ingredients in their baking and, more specifically, think about the difference that choosing these ingredients has on the lives of the farmers/producers who grow/produce these ingredients.  

This dairy-free and gluten-free offering from Ana Petreska is adapted from a Chelsea Winter recipe.  

Here's what Ms Petreska had to say about the campaign:

"My involvement in the Big Fair Bake resulted in a great experience and opportunity for me to experiment with baking in which I am very passionate about. It was a lot of fun and opened my eyes to the importance of incorporating fair-trade-certified ingredients in my weekly grocery shop. A little sacrifice on my end can go a long way to these farmers and that's what really makes the difference. I hope this opportunity shows people how easy it is to make something delicious using natural, organic and fair ingredients that not only keep your waistline in check, but also help the Fairtrade farmers to maintain a liveable and fair lifestyle.

Recipe

Ana’s Fairtrade Raw Choc 'Cheesecake'

Base

1 cup pecans (instead of 1.5 cups of cashews)

1 cup almonds (instead of ground almonds)

1 cup coconut desiccated

1/3 cup coconut oil, softened

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp lemon zest

Filling

3/4 x block Fairtrade Certified Whittaker’s Dark Ghana Chocolate (instead of one block)

1/2 cup Trade Aid Fair Trade cocoa (added in to lessen the amount of chocolate needed)

1 x 400g tin coconut cream

1/3 cup icing sugar

2 ripe pureed avocados (instead of cream cheese)

2 egg whites

1 Tbsp Fairtrade Certified Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Extract (to add some extra depth of flavour)

Topping

2 punnets fresh strawberries

1 cup of fresh or frozen mixed berries (added)
Whipped cream

Method:

Either the night before, or a couple of hours before, put the tin of coconut cream in the fridge. This will help separate the cream from the water.

Line the bottom of a 27cm diameter springform tin with baking paper.

In a food processor, process all the crumb ingredients until the mixture resembles a butter crumb. (Tip: I find tipping the processor up on its side a little, so it’s on an angle, helps it all mix up better and not stick up the sides).

Press the crumb into the bottom of the tin in an even layer, fairly firmly but not with too much force or  it might go a little hard. Pop in the fridge.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water until just melted, stirring every now and then (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Stir in the sifted cocoa powder in batches, so no lumps form. Remove the bowl from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes until it has cooled slightly.

Take the tin of coconut cream out of the fridge. Tip it over, open it, then pour out the watery liquid at the top leaving the firm cream behind – this is what you need to use.

Puree the avocados with a fork or blender and beat together with the coconut cream and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Fold the vanilla and melted chocolate mixture, a third at a time, into the avocado mixture, scraping the sides with a spatula as you go.

Lastly, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold through the chocolate mixture until well combined. Spread the mixture over the base and smooth out the top with the back of a hot spoon until flat and smooth.

Keep in the fridge for at least an hour to set. When you’re ready to serve, warm the outside of the tin for a few seconds with a hot cloth, then undo the spring and gently move to a serving plate. Pop the thinly sliced strawberries all over the top – however you'd like to present it. I then added a dollop of cream and a spoonful of berry coulis.

To make the berry coulis:

Heat the frozen or fresh berries in a sauce pan with a couple of Tbsp of sugar or maple syrup and some lemon juice until sticky sauce forms. Pour this on top of the cheesecake or as a side serving.