Crazy. Just go ahead and say it, you think I’m crazy and off my rocker. Well, I just might be! Bloody Mary Cheesecake?? But wait, before you run away, I have a really, really good reason for coming up with this recipe. Read on my friends, read on.
I wrote it for none other, than the amazing Williams Sonoma retailer! You know, the place for kitchen cooks, enthusiasts and kitchen-gadget-obsessed-freaks. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much obsessed with that store and have been for years. It has always been one of my favorite stores…that and Pottery Barn. My poor hubby can attest to that. My whole house is filled with their products. I’ve bought my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, Jura Capresso coffee machine, KitchenAid stand mixer and tons of other kitchen gadgets from there. Like I said, I LOVE that place.
Well, they contacted me this week and asked me to create a recipe for them. I had to go all out for them, right?! I’ve written recipes for several companies and product lines, but I have to admit, this one had me just a tad excited. I love, love their quality products!
The recipe? Well, they asked me to create a recipe based on the classic Bloody Mary cocktail, but put a twist on it and create the drink in my own way. Well, I didn’t want to just change make a cocktail, I wanted take if one step further and venture wayyyyyyy off the beaten path and do something totally unexpected, a dessert. I talked to them about creating a dessert and they loved the idea!
Therefore, Bloody Mary Swirl Cheesecake was going down. A vegan cheesecake that is no-bake, simple, fast and only 8 ingredients, including the crust! By the way, this crust is absolutely fantastic….I wanted to eat it all by itself. You can add in optional flavorings or just keep it simple, up to you. The only problem with my cheesecake idea is that I’ve never tried a Bloody Mary before, so I didn’t have a clue what they tasted like or the ingredients. I googled the basic recipe and saw a million different ones and ultimately, just created mine to taste. I don’t do vodka, so virgin it was. Once I got an idea for the drink, I then incorporated that as a swirl into the cheesecake. I kept it simple, as to not make it too weird or compete with the cheesecake, so I didn’t add every ingredient from the cocktail into the swirl.
Surprisingly, the tangy swirl blends in beautifully because of the tang already coming from the lemon juice in the cheesecake filling. My initial thought was to do the entire thing as a Bloody Mary cheesecake, but it just was not happening. I tested this recipe different ways and a couple different desserts and it needed to be just an accent, not overpowering, so it would still be a great dessert. It had to meet the criteria of both taste and texture. Not so easy to do when trying to make a savory, spicy cocktail into a dessert. Bahahaha!
Well, to my amazement, it tastes flippin fantastic!! I think I’ll add a pinch of tabasco sauce to all my cheesecakes….I kid, I kid. But seriously, if you want to wow……or um, freak out your guests at your next gathering or party, make this.
Although it’s not traditional, I added some olive juice to my Bloody Mary and it was delish.
Now, the very freshest way to make tomato juice is using fresh tomatoes by juicing them and there is no better way than to use one of Williams-Sonoma’s amazing juicers. Fresh is always best. I blend and puree ingredients all the time, so I know how fresh they taste. I don’t have a juicer yet, so I don’t know just how fabulous this bloody mary could have been using one of their juicers to make it that much more bold in flavor. I do know that juicing in itself is a fabulous way to get a ton more ingredients and nutrients in one glass, that normally would require a bunch of food to eat.
This cheesecake is creamy and delicious, but if you don’t want to add the Bloody Mary swirl, no biggie, just eliminate it and enjoy the amazing cheesecake on it’s own. My daughter sure loved this cheesecake though. I’d love your feedback, it means so much to me, so come back here and let me know how it turned out.
Virgin Bloody Mary Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups raw pecans 224 g (Or do half pecans and half almonds-that combo tastes AMAZING)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt do not omit!
Filling
- 2/3 cup raw cashew butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup "lite" canned coconut milk shaken well first
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Bloody Mary Swirl (Optional for those who dare. For a strong taste, you can always double and/or adjust ingredients)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste not sauce/juice
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cashew butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1-3 dashes of tobasco sauce totally depending on your preference, it gets hot quick so beware
- Optional add-ins: pinch of celery salt black pepper, horseradish, olive juice, vodka (I only did celery salt)
Optional: If you want a Bloody Mary to serve alongside, here is my virgin concoction: (Serves 2 tall glasses or 4 short)
- 2 cups tomato juice not sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- few pinches of celery salt
- 3-5 dashes of tobasco sauce totally adjust to preference
- 2-4 teaspoons olive juice from a jar of Spanish olives
- Optional: extra salt & pepper horseradish, vodka if desired
- Garnish with celery lemon slices and olives
Instructions
- You don't need to soak any nuts or need a high powered blender for this cheesecake! Add the pecans/nuts to a food processor and pulse/blend until it is in fine crumbs. Add the salt and pulse again. Add the syrup and pulse just until it forms large, sticky clumps. Lightly spray/grease an 8 inch spring form pan and press the crust mixture flat and even on the bottom and going halfway up the sides. Don't forget to press and smooth and indention around the edges. Place in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Add all of the "filling" ingredients to a large bowl and whisk really well until completely smooth. Pour over the prepared crust. Place in the freezer for 1 hour only, just until it is starting to firm up. If you try to add the swirl before, it will just sink to the bottom.
- Mix the "swirl" ingredients in a cup well with a fork. Drop spoonsfuls around the cheesecake and pull with a knife or toothpick, carefully, to create a slight swirl effect. Place in freezer until solid, 5-8 hours or overnight is best. Remove and let thaw about 15 minutes before slicing. Place back in the freezer right away after slicing, as it will start to soften as room temp. I garnished the edges of mine with celery curls.
Notes
This is a brilliant idea! Love bloody mary’s and I especially love cheesecake.. so the combination of the two is a winner for me. Curious to know what it tastes like, definitely a recipe that I need to recreate.
Thanks so much Thalia!! It tastes just like cheesecake, with a sublte Blood Mary flavor…you know, with a tang from the tomato and a slight warmth from the tobasco (only in the swirl) that hits you a few moments after a bite, so a little goes a long way. It has been a HUGE hit with family members!!
Congratulations on working with Williams Sonoma! That is so so amazing. You definitely deserve the recognition! You are amazing and I love your creativity and all of your skills so much!!!
Congratulations, Brandi! I can’t think of anyone who deserves this wonderful recognition more than you. 🙂 Your creativity (Bloody Mary *cheesecake?!*) constantly amazes me.
Brandi, congrats on this amazing opportunity! I’m not surprised at all that Williams Sonoma asked you to develop a recipe. You are incredible and you constantly blow me away. This bloody mary swirl cheesecake is a stroke of genius. I’m not exaggerating one bit. I would’ve never thought of this in a million years. It looks absolutely beautiful, creamy, decadent, and it’s unbelievable that it’s made with those simple, good for you ingredients. Brava, my friend!
I’ll bet WS did NOT see this coming!! Awesome, girl! It really makes a gorgeous cheesecake, doesn’t it, with that red swirled in?
Haha! Annie-yeah definitely not what they asked for, but I think that makes it more exciting that way too! It really is delicious too! Thank you!
This is super wacky but the presentation is really cool!
Congratulations on the Williams Sonoma feature. They’re not over here in the UK but I definitely know them.
Haha! Thank you Emma! Yes, it’s weird but honestly it works and the Bloody Mary swirl is so subtle, it blends right in since both the swirl and filling are both tangy! Everybody in my family loved it, even my toddler
That goes in the books as one of the most creative baking items I have come across! Looks fabulous and what an honour!!!!. Good for you Brandi and well deserved – you have such a creative flare for these things.
BTW – that crust sounds amazing. I have to try it.
Awww thank you Cindy!!! You are awesome! Weird, I know, but hey…I’m a weirdo, what can I say?! Haha. Yes, the crust was soooo good I honestly just wanted to eat it all by itself. I typically don’t add salt to crust, but it really did bring out the flavors of the nuts more, oh my gosh, it was SO good!
Congrats my friend, this is so exciting that you got this opportunity 😀
This cheesecake is MORE than worthy, it looks incredible!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks so much Uru!! I appreciate that!
Congratulations Brandi, how wonderful. I love Williams Sonoma, one of my favorite stores. You cheesecake recipe is so creative, what a great honor to be featured at WS..
Thanks so much Suzanne!
This is unreal, all of it. Congratulations on being asked to make this CRAZY cool recipe. It’s so unique, seriously I’ve never seen anything like it. I am just in awe. Save me a slice?! 🙂
Brandi you’re a beast! I can always count on you to come up with awesome, innovative recipes! Can’t wait to make this! I will use my special Williams Sonoma pie plate (OK so it has a picture of a pumpkin on the bottom but I’ll make everyone drink a Bloody Mary first and they won’t notice!)
Diana, you are just the sweetest, thank you for the lovely compliment!! I really love to think outside the box!! Usually involves more work, but it is so much more fun! And that is too funny about the plate and giving them a Bloody Mary first, I laughed out loud!
Brittany, you are so sweet, thank you!! I would LOVE to give you a slice!! xo
Aaaaaahhhh! I LOVE Williams Sonoma! I could literally spend an entire day in that shop and never ger bored. I also love me a good Bloody Mary with extra horseradish. This cheesecake looks so gorgeous and even though the flavor combo is unusual I could imagine it working.
Thank you so much Jen, you are so sweet! Yes, it sounds weird, but I swear it delicious….the swirl flavor is subtle, so it totally works! I could spend all day in there also, haha!
BIG Congratulations Brandi on doing recipe development for Willams & Sonoma, that place is one of my favorite shops for kitchen appliances and tools! I love vegan Bloody Mary drinks, that is one stunning cheesecake…I would drink and eat it all within a day! I love the decorative red swirls on your cake, so beautiful!
Thank you so much Rika!! I appreciate that! I love that store too…obsessed is more like it 🙂