Method

• (1) Sieve the flour into the mixing bowl. Add the Carob powder and ½ tablespoon of sugar.
• (2) Take the vegetable fat from the fridge, and grate into the mixing bowl.
• (3) With a palette knife, chop and mix the vegetable fat into the dry ingredients. When thoroughly mixed, and resembling a crumble, start sprinkling the chilled water onto the mixture, and pressing the mixture together with the flat side of the palette knife.
• (4) When the pastry is formed, and there are no ingredients sticking to the sides of the bowl, put it into a plastic container, seal it, and store in the fridge for at least ½ hour. (The pastry can be prepared the previous day.)
• (5) When the pastry is ready, dust a pastry board with flour and roll into a circle of about 16cm diameter.
• (6) Lightly grease the flan case with vegetable fat, and transfer the pastry round to the flan case. Press it gently into the contours of the tin. Cut it to the same height as the flan tin, and seal any cracks or thin parts of the pastry case with the off-cuts.
• (7) Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 350F, 175C. Whilst it is warming up, put the flan case in the oven to lightly seal the pastry surface.
• (8) Take an electric food mixer. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar, the contents of a tub of Vegan Cream Cheese, a teaspoon of vanilla essence and the juice of one freshly squeezed organic lemon.
• (9) Blend the mixture into a smooth sauce.
• (10) Carefully remove the flan case from the oven. Pour the mixture into the flan case, ensuring that it is evenly distributed. Then return the flan case to the oven for about 1 hour.
• (11) When the flan is cooked (it will appear golden brown and is likely to rise considerably in the middle), remove it from the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack.
• (12) When the flan is cool, take the pure fruit Cherry spread and stir it vigorously with a spoon - so that it is more fluid.
• (13) The flan filling will have sunk again slightly. Carefully spoon the fruit spread onto the surface of the flan, right up to the edges of the flan case – until the filling is completely covered.
• (14) Now the flan can be carefully removed from the flan case, but retain the base for ease of carrying and serving.
• (15) The cheesecake is now ready to eat, although allowing it to stand longer will enable the spread to set again, making it easier to serve. Use a rigid and sharp knife to cut through the carob shell.