Vegan Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies with Cranberry Whipped Cream

 

For the Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cheescake:

 

16 ounces Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese

3 ounces organic non-GMO extra firm tofu

1/3 cup organic sugar 

8 ounces pumpkin purée

8 ounces mashed sweet potato

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon each of clove, allspice, nutmeg

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons non-dairy milk 

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Dash of salt 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and 8x2 inch square baking dish. Place a 7.5 inch wide by 14 inch long piece of parchment paper into the greased dish so it covers just the bottom and overlaps over 2 sides. This will help you remove it from the pan really easily. In a blender of food processor, combine all ingredients and blend well until smooth and creamy. Pour and smooth out into prepared dish, reserving 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the brownie batter. 

For the Brownie

2 heaping tablespoons ground flax seeds

6 tablespoons water

3 ounces vegan semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup hot coffee or espresso

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) Earth Balance butter, melted

3/4 cup organic sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup reserved pumpkin mixture

Combine flax seeds and water. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour the hot coffee over the chocolate chips and let sit a minute. Stir to combine. Add melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and flax mixture. Mix. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, cocoa powder, and flour. Add flour mixture and reserved pumpkin mixture to chocolate butter mixture and mix just until combined. 

Remove pumpkin layer from the oven. At his point it will still be pretty soft. So very carefully spoon the brownie mixture on top, dropping small amounts all over and then smoothing out to cover. Return to oven and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, till brownie is set. Let cool, and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Using the overlapping parchment paper, carefully lift out the pumpkin cheesecake brownies and set on a baking sheet. Place another baking sheet or small cutting board on top and carefully flip over so that the pumpkin is on top and brownie is on the bottom. Slice into squares. 

Cranberry Whipped Coconut Cream

1/4 cup whole cranberries 

1 tablespoon orange juice 

1 teaspoon sugar

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight

1/4 cup powdered sugar  

In a small pan, combine cranberries, orange juice, and sugar. Cook over medium low heat until cranberries cook down and a sauce forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Separate the solid coconut fat from the top of the can. You should be left with a little bit of clear coconut water at the bottom. I tested out all be different brands from my store as to which one works best. Some don't firm or separate at all. So find which brand works for you! In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the solid coconut, powdered sugar, vanilla and cranberry sauce. Mix till fluffy.

For the garnish, I baked up some little leaves made out of simple pie crust. Place 3/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 4 tablespoons cold Earth Balance in food processor. Pulse about 20 times. Add in 2 to 3 tablespoons ice cold water. Mix till dough forms. Roll out onto floured surface. Cut out desired shapes. Bake on parchment lined baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, till golden. 

To serve, top each square with a little cranberry whipped cream and garnish with pie crust leaves. I added some pomegranate seeds around the plate for color.