Cardamom Vanilla Mock Cheesecakes With Five Spice Candied Peaches over Graham Crust

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Peaches:

3 ripe peaches peeled and cut
into sections
Zest from one orange
Juice of one orange
3 T butter
¼ C light brown sugar
Sprinkle of sea salt
1 T good brandy
5-spice blend: 1/8 t of
cardamom and cloves. 1/4 t
of cinnamon, coriander, and
ground ginger

Mock CheeseCake:

10.5 oz of plain full fat Greek yogurt
¼ C white sugar
2 t vanilla extract
1 ½ t fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ t ground cardamom

Crust:

5 graham crackers
3 T melted butter
Pinch of sea salt
2 heaping T light brown sugar

Method:

• In a glass bowl toss the peaches with the orange zest, the 5 spice mixture, and the sea salt. Heat a medium sized saucepan and melt the butter, then add the brown sugar. Add the peaches and sauté on medium heat until soft and brown sugar has thickened slightly and become clear. This only takes about 3-4 minutes. You must watch it closely and stir very often. Then add the splash of brandy and sea salt. Let stay on a lower heat for about 1 minute or two to burn off the alcohol. Remove and put in a dish, cover with saran, and let sit.
• In a small food processor add the grahams and whir until ground into a chunky sand. Then add the butter, brown sugar, and pinch of salt. Whir again just until it comes together. Divide evenly and spread on the bottom of 4 small dessert bowls. I opted for pushing it against the side and only covering half the bottom for interest. In a large mixing bowl add all the mock cheesecake ingredients and mix well. Ladle carefully on top of the graham crust making sure a bit of the crust shows if you pushed it against the sides. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• To serve ladle the peaches and sauce over the mock cheesecake, and add a small sprig of mint. Enjoy!