YIELD: 10 SERVINGS
This fragrant cake is delightful when served with a dollop of Sweetened Whipped Coconut Cream and dry white wine, or sparkling grape juice for the kids. Rosewater can be located in most specialty grocers near other similar extracts and flavorings. Certainly, if you cannot locate this particular flavoring, equal amounts of spiced rum or vanilla extract would replace it just fine, albeit without the floral undertones.
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 °F.
Lightly grease only the sides of an 8-inch springform pan.
You may use a larger pan, but your cheesecake will be thinner and may need to cook less time.
In a small bowl, combine flaxseed meal with water and let rest until gelled, for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the pistachios, sugar, almond oil, almond meal, and prepared a flaxseed meal until clumpy.
Use very lightly greased hands and press firmly into the bottom of the spring form pan and cover as well as you can.
Once it is spread out covering as much surface as possible, sprinkle lightly with almond meal and then press down to cover completely and evenly.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the filling and blend until completely smooth, for about 5 minutes, scraping downsides often.
Spread the filling evenly into the prepared spring form pan and then bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 °F, without removing the cheesecake from the oven, and bake for an additional 60 minutes.
Turn oven off and let cheesecake remain for 1 more hour.
Let cool for 1 hour at room temperature on a wire rack and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool overnight.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
________________________________________________________________
Ingredients
CRUST
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons water
1 cup pistachios, pulsed until crumbly
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon almond or canola oil
¼ cup almond meal, plus extra for sprinkling
FILLING
2 cups (20 ounces) silken tofu
1 to 1½ teaspoons rose water (the more the rosier!)
3 (8-ounce) containers nondairy cream cheese, such as Tofutti
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white rice flour
2 drops pink food coloring (optional)
