Raw Cheesecake Cupcakes

I spent much of the last week or two feeling quite under the weather. It is almost winter here, and cold season is upon us! I had all the lovely symptoms of a head cold and spent much of my foggy thoughts on how to naturally feel better faster. In between movie marathons and going through a box and a half of tissues, I came up with the following ways to skip the cherry flavored syrup and naturally get back on my feet faster from a cold.

• Get plenty of rest! This is an obvious one, of course. I spent most of the week in bed in my pajamas. I found my head to be extremely foggy and too hard to concentrate on doing much of anything. Turns out I took an involuntary vacation from work that wasn’t much fun and left me paler than usual.
• Skip the gym. As much as I wanted to sweat out some of my sickness doing some cardio, I lacked the energy to shuffle down the hall to the bathroom. Instead, to work up a sweat I decided to…
• Eat chili peppers. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chilies their bite, works as a decongestant, expectorant, and a pain reliever! Capsaicin encourages your body to thin down mucus so you can hack it up and get rid of it. (Gross.) Chilies are also packed with vitamin C. Just one chili can contain up to four times as much vitamin C as an orange.
• Drink warm water with lemon. Lemons are also packed with vitamin C which can shorten the duration of a cold.
• Or warm water with ginger. Or a combination of both. Ginger can help lessen the effects of colds, relieve headaches and nausea, and even improve circulation. Add a slice or two of fresh ginger to a mug of warm water.

To celebrate my improved health, I spent the afternoon making raw cheesecake cupcakes. The recipe is similar to the cheesecakes I’ve made for you in the past, but these are much cuter. It’s also easy to make just a couple of these at a time instead of a whole cake. And of course they are raw and healthy. Experiment with different fruits for the topping or leave it off completely.

Raw Cheesecake Cupcakes
makes 4 and is easily doubled

Crust
1/4 cup raw almonds
4-5 dates
pinch cinnamon

• Pulse all ingredients in food processor until broken down.
• Press by the tablespoonful into the bottoms of cupcake liners. Set aside.

Cheesecake
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
1 Tbsp orange or lemon juice
pinch vanilla powder

• Process cashews in food processor until broken down.
• Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.
• Divide evenly into cupcakes and press on top of crust layer.
• Place in freezer while completing the next step.

Topping
1/4 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (use what you like – get creative:)
2 tsp cold pressed coconut oil
1 tsp psyllium husk (optional)

• Process ingredients until smooth. Use psyllium husk if fruit is a bit watery to create a jellied texture.
• Pour evenly over cheesecake layer.
• Place in refrigerator to set (about 30 minutes) and until served.