Raw Concord Grape Lemon Cheesecake
I came across concord grapes in the produce section last week, and I had to buy a 2 lb bag. I am not a big grape person when it comes to regular grapes, but concord grapes are a different story. They are so jammy and delicious tasting, filled with flavor and they remind me of classic grape jam I used to enjoy as a child (but better without all the sugar).
I made 3 different recipes with them last weekend, the first of which was a raw cheesecake. I have honestly always wanted to use them in a raw cheesecake, but I had to wait until this year because last year I could not find any.
I paired them with lemon, because I thought their sweetness would pair well with the tartness of the lemon, and it would make for a lovely cake with the purple hued grape. Although I thought of making a single filling cheesecake and mixing the two flavors to create a uniform batter, I decided that this cake needed two colors. Not only the filling, but I added in a concord grape jam swirled in as well for another layer of flavor.
It was simply heavenly and delicious! I feel so blessed to have gotten my hands on concord grapes this year, I hope I do next year too!
Raw Concord Grape Lemon Cheesecake
Makes one 6 inch cake
1 cup dried finely shredded coconut
1/4 cup soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter (warmed to liquid)
1/4 cup raw coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
1/2 cup concord grapes
2 Tbsp coconut butter
Grape Jam:
1/2 cup concord grapes
1/3 cup raisins
1 Tbsp coconut nectar
For the top of the cake:
fresh concord grapes
For the jam, combine the ingredients and puree until smooth, then press through a fine meshed strainer. Set aside.
Garnish the cake with fresh grapes and serve! Store leftover cake in the fridge.