Key limes or Mexican limes used in Key lime pie are very different from the usual 'Persian' limes that we know in our shops. Key limes are smaller, more acidic and the flesh is yellow. Once dried into black lime, they are a useful ingredient in Middle Eastern cookery. The strange thing about both Key limes and Persian limes is that they are ripe when yellow, not green. As it's hard to get hold of Key limes, I use normal limes. But if you can get hold of Bengali limes (I buy them at Asian supermarkets, especially in Whitechapel), then do. They are perfumed and floral.
Ingredients
Oil spray, for greasing
For the crust:
150g Oreo cookies, finely ground
3 tbsp coconut milk
For the filling:
150g cashew nuts, soaked in water for 2-4 hours, then drained
2 small avocados, peeled and stoned
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla paste or 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
100ml agave nectar
Juice of 2 lemons
100ml coconut oil
Juice of 5 limes, plus the pared zest of 1 for the top (optional)
Slices of kiwi fruit, for the top (optional)
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground Oreos and coconut milk. Press the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Put all the ingredients except the lime zest and kiwi fruit into a powerful blender. Process until smooth. Then take the cheesecake base from the fridge and ladle in the green filling.
Decorate with curls of pared lime zest, or with overlapping layers of kiwi fruit slices, or both. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
Recipe extract and image taken from V is for Vegan by Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmitelover.
Feature image: Jan Baldwin
