Vegan Lemon Cheesecake

I baked this the other day for a friend who is allergic to dairy. I saw that the recipe appeared online a few times, and a few varieties of it (some with different extracts). It turned out really well! Having a texture more like a fluffy tart, it was not like a real hard "cheesecake" texture, but tasted really light with a nice tangy mild flavor. I definitely recommend it, and dare you not to have more than one slice. Oh yes, one more thing: the recipe says to mix it in the food processor for 3-5 minutes, and they're not joking! I mixed mine for about 4 minutes, and although really smooth, I think it could have been even smoother. Perhaps using the fine grain sugar would be even better.



Preheat oven to 350F.

1-14 oz package firm silken tofu
1-8 oz package Better than Cream Cheese (Tofutti)
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp almond extract
2 tbsp cornstarch
1-9 inch pie crust

Place silken tofu and vegan cream cheese in the food processor. Process for 1 minute, then add sugar. Process until smooth and no sugar granules remain, 3-5 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and almond extract. Whisk in cornstarch. Pour mixture into the food processor and process until very smooth. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes.
Allow to cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight.
Serves 10

For the crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I put in one small package from the box into the food processor.)
- 1/4 cup margarine, melted (non animal product type)