Tofu Cheesecake

I know that I normally don't cook or bake with a whole lot of tofu.  It's not that I do not enjoy tofu, I do, it's just that I am never really sure what to make with it or what kind to buy.  However, I was watching Create Tv here at at PSU one day and Christina Cooks came on, a chef who cooks only vegan, non-dairy food.  Since I was trying to watch calories, but had been craving something sweet and cheesecake-like I was caught by her remake of cheesecake using tofu.  It was a lot lower in calories and had more protein than regular cheesecake, but it did use tofu.  I wrestled with the idea of the tofu cheesecake for a while and then finally figured, what the heck, I would give it a shot.  
   To be honest with you, I didn't really know what to expect.  Sometimes the magic of television doesn't transfer over to the magic of taste, but this time, I was pleasantly surprised.  The recipe was delicious.  Now the only warning I will give you is that the texture is not exactly the same as cheesecake.  It is just not as dense or as rich.  However, with the addition of some brown sugar into the batter, it was heavenly.  I will also tell you that since I do not have any allergies or intolerances to dairy or meat, I used regular chocolate, gelatin, and brown sugar.  If you do have an intolerance, here is the link to the vegan, non-dairy version .  
Otherwise, follow my version for  a pleasant and delicious surprise.  

Almond Oat Chocolate Crust: 
2 cups finely ground, blanched almonds
1 cup finely ground rolled oats
Pinch salt
2 ounces chocolate chips, melted
2 tablespoons butter, melted 

Filling:
2 pounds firm tofu, coarsely crumbled
1 cup agave nectar 
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons almond butter
Pinch salt
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2/3 teaspoon turmeric
1 package of unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond or soy milk
1/4 cup of brown sugar (make sweet to taste) 


Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9-inch spring form pan.

Make the crust. Combine ground almonds, oats and salt in a food processor with melted chocolate. Mix well to create a moist texture. If the crust mixture seems dry, add butter, by the teaspoon, until the texture is moist. It should gather and not stick to your fingers, but crumble easily.

Press the crust evenly into prepared spring form pan, covering the bottom and up the sides as much as your quantity will allow. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely before filling.

Make the filling. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Spoon ingredients into the cooled crust and bake for about an hour, until the edges of the filling are set, even though the center will still be loose. Set aside until cooled to room temperature and then place the cake in the fridge and chill completely.  Once cake is cool feel free to garnish with chocolate or fruit of your choice.