Chocolate. Chai. Cheesecake. Three of of my favourite things merged into one seriously naughty dessert. Alliteration never sounded tastier!

Having spent the last couple of weeks wading through the boxes I stored whilst travelling, I came across a very special box the other day which filled me with instant happiness: the parcel I sent to myself from India. Due to a limited budget, I had selected only a few small items to purchase and send home.

Naturally the box contained things like incense, fabrics and artwork, but there was one special thing which I knew I could never quite replicate at home: traditional Masala Chai spices!

I fell deeply in love with authentic Indian Chai on my long train journeys and early morning starts, and knew that a cup of English “builders” tea would never quite cut it again after the sweet and spicy flavours enhanced by the cardamon, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper. So when I opened my parcels and felt the smell of those familiar spices hit my nostril, I decided to create something sweet and spicy to take me back to Incredible India!

The final product is this sweet, spicy and deliciously gooey Chocolate Chai Cheesecake!

Now, you can add arrowroot powder or cornstarch to give it a bit more body, but I quite like the softer, moussey cheesecakes so I left my mixture quite moist. But play around with your ingredients and see what works for you!

Chocolate Chai Cheesecake 

Ingredients 

Crust

• 1 packet of Biscuits (I choose Hobknob style but ginger would work amazingly with this recipe)
• 4 Tbsp vegan friendly Margarine

Filling

• 1 packet of Mori Nu morinaga Firm Silken Tofu
• 1 heaped Tbsp of Masala Chai spices (or make your own by combining the following: 2 tbsp Ginger Powder, 2 tbsp Cardamom, ground, 1 tsp Nutmeg, grated, 1 1/2 tsp Cloves, ground, 1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, ground, 3 tbsp Cinnamon, ground, 1/4 tsp Saffron.)
• 2 Tbsp of Agave Syrup
• 1 heaped Tbsp of Cacao Powder
• 2 cups of Hemp Milk (I prefer Hemp as it is more sustainable than Soy and Almond, and packed full of Omegas!)

Method

Begin with the crust by crushing your Biscuits, melting your vegan spread and then combing the two in a large bowl.

Add the mixture to a greased medium sized cake tin, making sure to spread it up the sides of the tin too, to create walls with the crust. Place the tin into the fridge to set for 30 minutes.

Next, heat up 1 cup of the Milk and 1 Tbsp of the Agave in a saucepan on a medium heat with the Chai spices, until all the spices are dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Repeat this process with 1 cup of Milk, 1 Tbsp Agave and the Cacao powder. Set aside to cool.

Once the two mixtures are cool, cut the block of Tofu in half and add one half to each of the Milk mixtures. One by one blend the Milk Tofu mixtures until they are a thick smoothie consistency.

Pour the Chai mix into the Biscuit base first and place back into the fridge to set for 1 hour. Once set, add the Chocolate mix on top and set for a further 2 hours.

Once set, dust with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and nutmeg and indulge as you are transported to Incredible India!!

Here’s what the Chef never tells you…

I had a bit of an accident….

When I took out my base from the fridge ready to add the second Chocolate Layer, I tripped over the cat and dropped my tin!

Luckily I managed to save most of it and continue (and the cat was a big fan of the spilt chai mix!) but it did leave it looking somewhat messy. I managed to salvage a good half of it though; hence the one slice picture not a full cheesecake shot!