Mint Julep Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients:
1 cup chopped almonds (soaked and dehydrated)
½ cup oat flour
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ tsp. pink Himalayan salt
¼ tsp. vanilla powder
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tbsp. Hardwood activated charcoal powder (organic pure food grade)
¼ cup organic melted coconut oil

Directions:
Place the almonds into a Cuisinart. Pulse until the almonds are chopped into Medium to Fine pieces. Add coconut, salt, vanilla powder, oat flour, charcoal powder, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Pulse until evenly mixed. Do not over blend because you do not want to break the almonds any more. Remove one cup of the crust and place into a measuring cup. This will be used in the crust. Place the remainder of the crust on a dehydrator tray with a teflex sheet. Place another teflex sheet over the top of the crust. Flatten with a rolling pin. Remove the top teflex sheet. Place the tray into the dehydrator at 115 degrees. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the tray from the dehydrator and flip it over onto a dehydrator tray without a teflex sheet. Place it back into the dehydrator for another 8 to 10 hours. This will be used for garnish in the center of the cheesecake. Set aside. Take a 6” x 3 ¾” round cake pan with a removable bottom. Coat the inside of the pan with coconut oil. Place the one cup of crust into the pan and press it flat with a round food press. Set aside.

Coconut Cream Filling Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews (soaked)
1 cup fresh coconut milk
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup Thai young coconut meat
½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. pink Himalayan salt
1 cup melted coconut oil
tbsp. organic non GMO soy lecithin granules

Directions:
Soak the cashews for 6 to 8 hours. Rinse and drain. Place the cashews into a Vitamix using a tamper. Turn on the Vitamix for a minute to break up the cashews. Turn off the Vitamix and add coconut milk, maple syrup, coconut meat, lemon juice, and salt. Place the Vitamix on medium to high. Use the tamper. Mix until creamy smooth. Add the coconut oil and blend until evenly mixed. Place the lecithin granules into a dry Vitamix container, or a coffee grinder. Grind the granules into powder. Add the lecithin and blend in evenly. Set aside.

Mint Julep Filling Ingredients:
1 cup cashews
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup maple syrup
½ tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. pink Himalayan salt
½ tsp vanilla powder
2 cups baby organic spinach
15 drops mint medicine flower extract
1 tbsp. organic spirulina powder
1 cup melted organic coconut oil
2 tbsp. organic non GMO soy lecithin

Directions:
Soak the cashews for 6 to 8 hours in filtered water. Rinse and drain. Place them into a Vitamix. Add the coconut meat, coconut milk, maple syrup, salt, lemon juice, vanilla powder, and spirulina. Using a tamper, blend until creamy smooth. Add 15 drops of Medicine Flower extract, and spinach. Blend until creamy smooth. Add the coconut oil using a tamper, blend in evenly. Add the lecithin powder and blend in evenly. Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Pour each of the fillings into 2 separate large measuring cups. Place a ¼ inch layer of mint julep filling into the pan. Make sure it is evenly distributed around the edges of the pan. Pour a circular layer of the coconut filling onto the mint layer. Keep alternating layers until you fill up the pan. Tap the pan on the counter several times to remove all of the air bubbles. Take a knife and swirl the layers so there is a beautiful pattern. Do not over swirl because the layers will mix in and the pattern will be gone. Take the remaining filling and place the coconut filling into a pastry bag with a Wilton 1 M tip. Place the mint filling into a pastry bag with a Wilton 224 tip. Place the bags into the refrigerator. Cover the cake pan with foil and place into the refrigerator overnight.

Chocolate Charcoal Flowers Ingredients:
1 cup medium sized pitted dates
1 cup filtered water
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup cacao powder
½ tsp. vanilla powder
¼ tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. pink Himalayan salt
½ tsp. cinnamon powder
2 tbsp. activated charcoal powder

Directions:
Place the dates and water into a Vitamix. Let soak for 30 minutes. Add the maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla powder, salt, and activated charcoal. Using the tamper, blend until creamy smooth. Place the mixture onto a 2 dehydrator trays with teflex sheets. Spread the mixture out onto both sheets with a rubber spatula. Do not spread too thin. Place into the dehydrator at 115 degrees for 8 hours. Remove from the dehydrator and peel the leather off of the tray and place it on a cutting board. Take a round Ateco food cutter with a serrated edge, 2 ¾” x 1 ¼”. Cut the leather by pressing down and then removing the round from the cutter. See the video if needed. You will need approximately 16 flowers. Please refer to the video for flower formation.

Assembly:

Take the pastry bags from the refrigerator and let them set out on the counter 20 minutes to soften. Do not let them sit out for too long or the filling will get too soft. Take the crust from the dehydrator tray and break a 3” high piece to place as a centerpiece on top of the cake. Refer to the video. Now take the cheesecake and gently run a thin knife around the edge between the cheesecake and the side of the pan. Open the side of the pan and remove it. Take a cake spatula and gently separate the cake from the bottom of the pan. Place it on a decorative plate and the plate onto a rotating cake turntable. Take an icing comb and decorate the side by repeatedly pressing it into the side as the cake turns. See the video. Make a thin small groove in the center of the cheesecake to hold the 3” high centerpiece. Place the piece in the groove and press it down. Take the pastry bag with the coconut filling and place florets all around the top outside edge of the cake. See the video. Take the chocolate flowers and place them between the coconut florets. See the video. Take the mint pastry bag and make small rosettes inside each petal of the chocolate flowers. See the video.

The cake is now ready to serve.
Note: Each time you slice the cake with a knife, make sure to wipe the knife off each time before making another cut.
This will last 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator covered. If you freeze it, slice each piece and wrap individually. Will last 2 to 3 months in the freezer.