This recipe is absolutely to die for, it is gluten-free, grain-free and refined-sugar-free, what more could anyone ask for? I have actually been working on this recipe for a few years now. I got first got the vision for an infused yogurt cheesecake when we were living in Neversink, NY.

It is a very, very slow cheesecake. To make it properly, with all your mis en place made from scratch, means that you need three days for preparation time. Of course, it isn’t strictly necessary to make everything from scratch, so feel free to make it a more simple method. But, if you want to get all of your good and loving vibrations well integrated into this incredible edible sensation, it is best to make everything yourself, with lots of love and good music playing as you do so 🙂

I finally got the recipe perfected for our anniversary this year. My man loves cheesecake so he was very pleased. I have been promising you all this recipe for a while now, and I just wanted to say sorry for making you all wait so long, but have no fear, it will surpass all of your expectations, I guarantee it!

Day 1:

Begin your preparations in the afternoon or evening.

• Soak 1 kg raw almonds in water for about 24 hours.
• Pit 1 kg fresh dark cherries, drizzle with 3 T raw honey and allow to stand overnight.
• Prepare aromatic yogurt* and incubate for 24 hours.

Day 2:

In the morning strain the cherries out of the cherry juices. Place the juice and honey into a pan with half a vanilla pod (scraped), 1 clove and 1 small stick of cinnamon and reduce to a syrup (more honey can be added if necessary). When the syrup is reduced, add in the cherries and allow to cook for around 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Pour the cherries into a large glass or ceramic dish and set out in the hot sun to further reduce the syrup.

In the evening strain and rinse the almonds and put them in a low oven or dehydrator for 12 to 24 hours or until crispy.

The yogurt will be ready by evening and now can be strained into home-made cream cheese, overnight.

Now all of your mis en place is in place and you are ready to make the cheesecake.

Day 3:

Crust:

• 2c almond flour (I grind my nuts in a coffee or spice grinder to make flour)
• 1/3 c honey
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 egg
• 2 pods cardamom (remove the seeds and grind with the almonds)
• Pinch salt

Method:
Mix the honey and butter together. Add in the egg and beat. Add the almond flour, cardamom and salt and beat. Press into the bottom of a cake pan and bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned at about 250 degree oven. Remove from oven.

Cheesecake Filling:

• 2 c (500g) home-made aromatic cream cheese
• 1/2 c honey
• 4 eggs
• pinch salt

Method:
Beat the cream cheese and honey until smooth. Add in the eggs one by one, beating well after adding each one. Pour over the lightly baked crust and bake at 100 degrees F for 2 hours.

Chill well before serving (if you can resist it).

To serve, pour over the cake the cherry syrup and serve the cherry compote on the side.

*I will post the recipe for aromatic yogurt in the future, in the meantime it is quite simple to make, some nice herbs for making cheesecake with are keffir lime leaves, lemon verbena, rosemary, mint, jasmine, lavender, rose…

I generally infuse the milk as I heat it when preparing yogurt. More hardy herbs like the rosemary, lemon verbena can be heated in the milk and then covered and left to infuse as the milk cools to 120 degrees. If you are using more delicate flowers bring the milk to 180 degrees, remove it from the heat, add a handful or so of flowers and cover. Let stand until it has come back down to 120 degrees, strain, add yogurt and incubate for 24 hours. Please see this video if you need more help on making yogurt.