Cheesecake Tart with Raspberry Topping

CHEESECAKE FILLING
12 ounces tofu, low-fat silken, (extra-firm)
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons macadamia nut oil, (or walnut oil)
1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced (from about one lemon)
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, (or corn starch)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons light agave nectar syrup
1/4 cup ribbon cane syrup (or half maple syrup, and half brown rice syrup)
1/4 cup organic light granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 pinch sea salt
RASPBERRY TOPPING
5 ounces raspberries, frozen (or 5 ounces fresh raspberries) (or 1/4 cup jam mixed w/ 1 T lemon juice)
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup, (or maple syrup)
GARNISH
Nuts
1 pint fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest (from about one lemon)

CHEESECAKE FILLING
To prepare the cheesecake filling, blend the filling ingredients until very smooth (make sure the pine nuts are not gritty).
CRUST Prepare a pie crust, but do not bake crust. You can either use a tart pan, a pie pan, or a springform pan to make this tart. I have made this in one 10-1/2 inch tart pan, or with this one recipe I have made two tarts: one in a 7-1/2 inch tart pan, and one in a 9 inch tart pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
ASSEMBLY
To prepare tart, pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared-pie crust making an even layer on the bottom. You don't want the filling to be too close to the top of the tart crust because the filling puffs up during baking, and if it is too close to the top of the tart crust, it can overflow. To be safe, put a cookie sheet under the tart pans while baking so if they do overflow, it will not drip onto the bottom of the oven.
Bake in a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes.
RASPBERRY TOPPING
Make the raspberry topping by lightly cooking the frozen raspberries with brown rice syrup, adding tablespoons of water as needed.
GARNISH
Once out of the oven, let cool a few minutes, and the spread the raspberry topping over the tart. Then garnish top of tart with the pine nuts, fresh raspberries, and lemon zest in a decorative fashion. Makes one 10-1/2 inch tart or two tarts: one 7-1/2 inches, and one 9 inches.
VARIATIONS:
- As the sweetener, any combination of unrefined sweeteners (maple syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, sorghum syrup, etc) can be used, and in varying amounts depending on your tastes (see "Dessert Notes" for more information about sweeteners).
- For a lower fat pie filling: leave out part or all of the pine nuts and the oil.