“You’ve got to put this one on that blog” My Beloved
I served this up on New Year’s day as a treat for my beloved who said “Outstanding. You’ve got to put this one on that blog.” And so here it is.
All hail the wonders of gelatin and the humble coconut! I’ve already mentioned some of the benefits of gelatin on an earlier post and all the health benefits of coconut could probably fill a small book. In the absence of a small book, I’ve listed some of coconut’s main benefits below.
- Studies of coconut oil in men and women have demonstrated that two tablespoons a day (30ml) is effective in reducing waist circumference whilst raising levels of the “good fat” (HDL)
- Coconut oil is an excellent dietary source of medium chain triglycerides which were shown in a now famous 2004 study to improve cognitive function in older adults with alzheimers or mild cognitive impairment
- Coconut oil is an anti-fungal and kills candida albicans (“thrush”)
- Coconut milk has been shown in animal studies to be as effective as the drug Sucralfate as an anti-ulcer agent
- Using coconut oil in a technique called “oil pulling” may have some very cost effective oral health benefits
This recipe does have a moderate amount of sugar from the honey (and whatever topping you may choose) so enjoy small slices, occasionally as a treat. The recipe does yield quite a few portions but whatever you don’t use will freeze well.
Prep Time/Cook Time
About 20-30mins prep and 2-3 hours to set
Ingredients
For the “biscuit base”:-
- 60g ground sunflower seeds
- 90g coconut flour, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil (place jar in bowl of hot water)
- 1-2 tablespoons of melted honey (place jar in a bowl of hot water if not “runny honey”)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 eggs
For the “cheese” topping:-
- 3 x 400ml cans of coconut milk that have been in the fridge for at least an hour (to separate the coconut milk from the coconut water)
- 250ml/1 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 -2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 125ml/ 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons good quality gelatin such as Great Lakes (this gelatin comes in a red and green can – only the red can will set like jelly)
Equipment
- Coffee grinder or blender attachment you can use to grind beans/seeds
- Sieve
- Food processor
- Baking tin (I use a 9×13 inch baking pan but a springform round tin with a good seal would make a better looking cake)
- Whisk
- Citrus fruit zester
Method
For the “biscuit base”:-
- Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees centigrade (fan assisted)
- Grease the baking dish with coconut oil
- Blitz the sunflower seeds in the coffee grinder until you have a fine powder like consistency
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor with an “S” blade and blend
- Scrape the mixture out of the food processor and press it firmly and evenly over the bottom of the baking tin
- Prick all over with a fork
- Bake for 10 mins
For the “cheese” topping:-
- Take the cold tins of coconut milk out of the fridge, open and scoop enough of the solid white milk to allow you to pour out the liquid coconut water (you do not need to retain the liquid coconut for this recipe)
- Combine everything except the gelatin in a saucepan
- Heat slowly until warm
- Add the gelatin very slowly, sprinkle by sprinkle, whilst whisking vigorously
- Place the saucepan in the fridge for an hour
Assembly
- After the “cheese” has been in the fridge for an hour and the “biscuit” base is cool, pour the “cheese” mixture over the base
- Place the baking tin back in the fridge until set
- When set add fresh fruit/fruit puree or whatever else you might think would work as a topping
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