Carol Wiley Lorente's Vegan 'Cheesecake' using Grape-Nuts cereal

Silky, smooth and sensible: a low-fat, vegan cheesecake that won't weigh you down - includes recipes - Recipe Redux - Column

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1995 by Carol Wiley Lorente

I knew nothing about vegan cooking 13 years ago when my daughter was born with a serious allergy to dairy products. Two years later, my son came along; he was just as allergic to eggs as his sister was to milk. (Why they couldn't be allergic to the same foods, I defer to a higher power.)

I soon realized that soy products were going to be my culinary friends. Tofu became the standby substitution in many of the dishes that previously had been on my children's verboten list. Desserts were no exception.

Tofu is creamy enough for puddings, in which it takes on the flavor of almost any fruit or spice. It's a natural for vegan cheesecake, a treat that eventually became a favorite dessert in my family, and one for which Vegetarian Times receives many requests.

The following recipe is for a simple vegan cheese-cake. It's adapted from a recipe by cookbook author Bryanna Clark Grogan, who specializes in vegan cooking. The pie crust, which calls for Grape-Nuts cereal, has almost become a classic in low-fat cooking--it contains no fat.

Most cheesecake recipes call for upwards of six eggs, and many use cups and cups of high-fat sour cream, whole milk and whipping cream. The "before" recipe we selected is adapted from Joy of Cooking; it clocks in at more than 300 calories and 15 grams of fat per slice. Our version has around 200 calories and 3 grams of fat per serving.

The recipe presented here is flavored with lemon juice and lemon zest, the grated, outermost rind of the lemon. The surprising addition of tahini gives the cheesecake a unique, rich flavor without compromising the lemony tang.

Feel free to experiment. Add vanilla-flavored liqueur instead of lemon juice and zest for a vanilla cheesecake. Or reduce the sweetener, eliminate the lemon juice and zest, and add pureed strawberries or raspberries. If the fat content doesn't concern you too much, add 12 ounces of melted semisweet chocolate instead of fruit. Or forget the crust and pour the filling into custard cups, chill, and serve vegan pudding.

Lemon Tofu 'Cheesecake'

If you make this cheesecake the day before serving, its flavor will be more developed.

Crust: 2 cups Grape-nuts cereal 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Filling: 1 lb. firm silken tofu 1/3 cup sugar 1 Tbs. tahini (see glossary) 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. lemon zest 1/2 tsp. almond extract 2 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs. rice milk or soymilk

Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cereal in a food processor or blender; grind to fine crumbs, about 2 minutes. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add maple syrup and almond extract; mix well until crumbs are moistened.

Pour into oiled 9-inch pie plate and press mixture evenly to form crust. Bake 5 minutes; let cool while preparing filling.

Filling: Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender until very smooth, about 30 seconds.

Pour into crust. Bake until top of pie is slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and firm, about 2 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Variations: Alternatively, use a prepared graham cracker crust.

* For a no-bake cheesecake, omit cornstarch mixture. Pour filling into crust and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. The texture will resemble that of a cream pie. PER SERVING: 209 CAL.; 7G PROT.; 3G FAT; 39G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 364 MG SOD.; 3G FIBER. VEGAN