Yogurt Cheese and Raw Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

I love eating as much raw foods as we can. Although I won't ever be a "raw only" foodie, I definitely think eating plenty of raw foods is essential to health. Now that we are grain free, we are eating even more raw foods, especially fruits and veggies bc produce is so plentiful right now. One thing I've enjoyed learning more about from the raw cookbooks I got from the library is desserts that incorporate fruits, healthy fats, nuts, and seeds. And the best part? They are sugar free! Does it really qualify as dessert if it's sugar free? Hmm, yes, I think it does. Not to mention that it makes it okay to serve it to your kids for breakfast. ;)

Before we can get started on the chocolate mousse part of this recipe, we have to tackle the yogurt cheese. It's so simple and so good for you, full of probiotics. I make our own homemade yogurt with our raw milk, a gallon at a time. I do this by letting the milk and yogurt starter (organic plain yogurt with live cultures) sit out until it's room temp. I mix them together and warm them a bit, then put them in a glass gallon jar with an old shirt or towel over the lid. Then I put it in the oven with the light turned on (leave the oven off) and let it sit for 24 hours. The light should keep it warm enough to culture. I checked the internal temp of my yogurt when it was done yesterday and the thermometer read 107 degrees. Perfect. :) After the yogurt is done, line a colander with a clean cloth or double layer of cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour 3 cups of yogurt into the colander, cover it (I just flip the extra cloth up over it) and put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, you will have the whey drained into the bowl and your cheese will be in the cloth. Scrap it out and stick it in the fridge, and pour the whey into a glass jar and keep in the fridge. You can use the cheese just like you would cream cheese, and use the whey for fermenting fruits and veggies.




Okay, now the mousse part! This stuff is so good, especially if you like the taste of rich cocoa without all that sugar. This recipe comes from the book "Raw Food: A Complete Guide for Every Meal of the Day" by Erica Palmcrantz and Irmela Lilja. It's full of healthy fats from the avocados. NOTE: This is way easier with a food processor or high powered blender. I don't have one, so my cheap blender couldn't handle the work. I also doubled the recipe to make the cheesecake.

1/4 cup dates
1/4-1/2 cup water
2 TB honey
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (I omitted this, but will use pure vanilla extract next time.)
3/4 cup avocado
1/4 cup cocoa or carob powder

Blend the dates with the water, honey, and vanilla in food processor until soft. Add the avocado and the cocoa and blend until creamy. Make sure to scrape the side every now and then to get it all mixed. Add more water if needed for desired consistency.

And finally, the crust.

1 cup almonds
3/4 cup walnuts
5 dates
2 TB honey
1 TB oil

Grind the nuts in the food processor or blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Now assemble your cheesecake. Firmly press the crust mixture into a pie plate. In a separate bowl, mix some honey or sweetener of choice with the yogurt cheese until desired sweetness. Spread the cheese mixture over the crust. Spoon the chocolate mousse over the cheese and spread evenly. Refrigerate for about half an hour before serving.



Yummy, rich chocolate mousse cheesecake!