Happy New Year! Thursday Food shares more delicious desserts courtesy of cookbook author Donna Noble who shares alternative ingredients to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Donna Noble is the author of My Goodness Greens Cookbook. She is also a freelance art director, set decorator and food stylist for feature films, commercials and commercial still photography.

www.donnanoblestyle.com

Instagram: Donnanoblestyle

Credits:

Recipes and Styling: Donna Noble

Photographer: Robyn Noble

Vegan Cheese Cake With Blistered Naseberries

This no-bake, plant-based ‘cheese’ cake will have you coming back for more. You can substitute pineapples, mangoes; in fact, any fruit that will hold together once grilled or seared on the stove top will add a lovely, almost caramelised flavour to this light and delicious cake.

Suitable for vegan, vegetarian, gluten and lactose free diets

Prep time: 30 mins

Refrigerator time: 2 hours to overnight

Serves: 12

Ingredients For The Base

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight in filtered water

½ cup Medjool dates

1 cup dried figs

1 cup dried cherries

½ cup coconut flakes

2 T cold pressed coconut oil

2 T raw coconut powder Lemon zest -optional

Pinch of sea salt

Method For The Base

1. Discard the soaking water and rinse the almonds.

2. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Remove from the food processor and set aside.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor. Pulse to combine, scraping down the sides and pulse again.

4. Add the almonds to the mix and pulse until well-combined and the mixture forms together.

5. Place the mixture into a 9″ spring form pan. Spread evenly and press into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan into the refrigerator for an hour.

Ingredients for the nut cream

2 cups cashews, soaked for 30 mins in warm water

2 3 oz almond or other nut milk 2 tsp. coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla beans from 1 pod

2 T honey or maple syrup ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Method For The Nut Cream

1. Discard the cashew soaking water, rinse the cashews and place them in a food processor along with 2 oz of the milk and all the other ingredients. Process until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides at intervals.

2. Add the other 1 oz of nut milk, only, if needed and process to a silky, creamy yet quite thick consistency.

3. Remove the cake base from the fridge. Spread the cashew cream over the nut base evenly. Place in the freezer for at least an hour. You can make the base and cream the day before and add the blistered fruit just before serving.

For The Blistered Fruit

4 fit and ripe but not soft naseberries, peeled, seeded and cut in ½” pegs or slices

Zest of 2 lemons

3 T safflower or other bland oil

1 T coconut sugar

Garnish with organic edible flowers.

Method

1. Place the naseberries on a sheet pan and brush both sides with oil.

2. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Place the naseberries in the frying pan in small batches. After about a minute, turn and sear the other side, just for a minute, you don’t want them to get mushy. Do the same with all the naseberry slices.

3. Place the slices back on the sheet pan. Sprinkle one side with coconut sugar and using a brulee torch, put a little blister on the slices. Cool. Alternatively you can grill the fruit on an oiled barbecue grill.

Remove the cake from the freezer. Arrange the naseberry slices on top of the cake. Garnish with edible flowers.

Cocoa Nut Balls

Prep time: 20 mins.

Makes about 16 balls

These nut balls are the perfect little sweet snacks.

Suitable for vegan, vegetarian, gluten and lactose free diets

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained

1 cup Medjool dates, deseeded, rough chop

1 cup dried figs, rough chop

1 cup dried cherries

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, finely grated

2 tablespoons raw, unsweetened, cocoa powder lemon or orange zest, optional

Pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Remove from the food processor and set aside.

2. Add the dates, figs, cherries, coconut oil and salt to the food processor. Pulse to combine, scrape down the sides and pulse again.

3. Add the almonds back to the processor and pulse until well combined and the mixture forms together.

4. Place the mixture into a mixing bowl and form into 1″ balls.

5. Dust the balls lightly with cocoa powder and coconut flakes or orange zest.

6. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will be good for more than a week refrigerated…they are so delicious, I doubt think they will last that long!