Christmas Recipe Round-Up: Part 4, New Year’s Eve Fashion and 2011 Reflection

Hey peeps! If you stuck with me this week kudos to you (See Parts 1, 2 and 3). I promise this is the last Christmas post! And dare I say the best, because it is a dessert recipe, after all? 🙂

But yes, I am trying to cram everything into one post here. It’s my last post of 2011, so why not cover all of my categories (okay, I admit, there will be no MOVE fitness post here, but just remember to dance your booty off on NY Eve and that just about covers it, right?)

So let’s get going with the first, NOURISH:

Oh how I wish I had not sold my camera right before Christmas simply for this cheesecake. I could have photographed it SO much better with a proper dSLR instead of my iPhone. I would have set up my lightbox and everything, but I just had no time on Christmas Day, so this is the only picture you’re getting!

Now this recipe is a bit of a family secret. My godmother came up with it (she’s a cook extraordinaire) and then it got passed to my mom who shared it with my aunt.

It’s been around the block, let’s just say that ;).

As it’s a family secret, I won’t share it here, but I WILL share the one my mom made this Christmas because it’s practically identical, but…this one’s vegan! Put it this way, the original was like this one but minus the tofu and add in some cream and eggs. Yup!

NOTE: This is also a British recipe, so it was originally made with Tate & Lyle golden syrup instead of maple syrup, and Digestives in the base. Please try to find Digestive biscuits – I know they’re available in the US and they make a HUGE difference to the taste. But if you really can’t find them, sub in graham cracker crumbs :).

We call this a chocolate cheesecake because of the cream cheese, but its consistency is a bit more like that of a chocolate cream pie or a firm chocolate mousse. So don’t feel like you failed if it isn’t super firm – it isn’t meant to be!

So here you go:

Mom’s No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake – Veganized 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

For base:

8 oz Digestive biscuits (or graham cracker crumbs if you can’t find Digestives but please see note above!)
50g vegan Earth Balance butter sticks
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)

For filling:

150g chocolate (a bar and a half usually) of 85% cocoa chocolate
8 oz lowfat cream cheese (to make it vegan, use vegan cream cheese, it works!)
12.3 oz pack of Mori-Nu silken tofu (can be any brand, but that’s the one I use!)
Agave nectar to taste – start with 4 tbsp and then add more to make it sweeter as you go

DIRECTIONS:

1. Crush the Digestives or graham crackers by dumping them in a large freezer bag, sealing and then hammering with a rolling pin (literally! This part is so fun, great way to let off steam ;)).

2. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in maple syrup and cocoa powder. Once well mixed, add biscuit crumbs and stir well.

3. Press base mixture into a springform or cheesecake pan and put in the fridge to set.

4. For filling, soften the cream cheese slightly in the microwave. When soft, add it to tofu in a large mixing bowl and whisk using electric mixers till combined.

5. Melt chocolate in a saucepan or in the microwave, then add melted chocolate in one go to tofu/cream cheese mixture. Whisk to combine.

6. Add agave nectar and then taste as you go. Once it’s sweet enough, mix once again and then pour mix into refrigerated crust.

7. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or, even better, overnight.

8. Decorate! We didn’t have any vegans at the table so we did add some whipped cream for a topping, but if you are vegan use a vegan whipped cream – Chocolate-Covered Katie has some fabulous vegan whipped topping recipes!

Nutritional information per slice if serves 10:

PRETTIFY:

Here are some of my favourite dress picks for New Year’s Eve. This is the one night of the year you can get away with all things shiny, shimmery, lacy and glittery so don’t skimp!

A lace body-conscious dress:

Buy it here.

This dress is BEAUTIFUL. But over 2 grand, so you know, maybe just look but don’t touch?

Drool over it here.

Wrap your cute lil self up with a bow:

Buy it here.

Go for a glitter top and a slimming black bottom (NOTE: This dress also comes with four other colour options for the bottom, from white to lilac. Check it out!)

Buy it here.

PONDER:

A lot of bloggers have been reflecting on 2011 and what they achieved this year. I think that’s a fabulous idea. Sometimes negative events can stick out in our minds, but the positive ones slip through the cracks and soon enough we find that we’re all too ready to say goodbye to a year because we’ve written it off as bad.

There’s no WAY that an entire year was bad. There is always good among the crap. Sure, for some 2011 was the worst year in a while and for others it was the BEST year in a while. And for still others, like myself, it was a bit of both but overall I have a lot of gratitude for what 2011 gave me. So let’s celebrate that shall we?

2011 was the year that:

• The business I own with my mom, Prompt Proofing, started making a profit and doing well! (knock on wood)
• I invested in my second property (I still own half of our place back home!)
• I went back to England for the first time in 10 years to see my grandmother, my aunt, my uncles, my cousins and my godfamily – it was such a great trip!
• Rededicated myself to my yoga practice 🙂
• I made some fabulous friends and strengthened already existing friendships, like those with Tara, Afra, Chelsea, Alica, Jacqueline, and more!
• Celebrated my 26th birthday with a party! (I rarely have a party for my birthday so this was a big deal in and of itself!)
• I started THIS BLOG and made some fabulous bloggy friends (check out my blogroll, they’re all there!)
• Went to my first writer’s conference and pitched my book to an agent – and I got a request for a manuscript, which, although it ultimately was rejected, was such a great learning experience for me and my writing
• Got an iPhone 😉
• Found out I’m going to be an AUNT! This is very recent news and I just got permission to share it with you, so I am super excited! My sister is due next July (my birthday’s July 1st so I’m going to have a birthday buddy!)

Have a great NY Eve, whether you’re staying in and chilling out, going out and partying it up or just ready for the New Year!

Remember, if you’re going out don’t drink and drive – cab it or have a designated driver! Be safe and…see you next year ;)!

(And well done for making it to the end of this post, if you did!)