The Return of Very Special VegNews Contest & Soy Nog Cheesecake with Buttery Rum Sauce

Almost a year ago from this very day, we posted a recipe for Soy Nog Cupcakes and a contest. A contest that was so epic -- people got so excited that for the year following this little contest -- we were still getting emails asking when we were going to have this contest again... Well. Here it is! 

The return of The Very Special VegNews Contest* and this year's awesome Soy Nog recipe! As we mentioned last year -- this is a magical season! We have excuses to buy and make presents for each other. Which I love. People host parties centered around cookies.Which is as awesome as it sounds. People donate and volunteer more during these winter holiday months than any of time of the year. Which is incredibly important and I wish happened more. There is random mistletoe everywhere to kiss your husband under. Which is one of my favorite holiday traditions**. And the retour au sommet... Silk Soy Nog hits the shelves.

I was trying to find a way to top last year's cupcakes and then it hit me... everyone loves vegan cheesecake. I mean everyone. Bring this clandestine vegan treat to any party and watch it disappear plate by plate and you are guaranteed at least one "Hmmm. This is vegan?"

This is a recipe that I think might become a new tradition for us - like partnering up with one of our favorite magazines, VegNews--the premier magazine focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle since 2000--to bring you this contest!

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below answering these 3 questions:

• What has been your favorite Meet The Shannons Recipe thus far? This will help us plan out our posts for next year.
• What recipe have you always wanted to see veganized? This will help us make sure the book we're writing covers everything you ever wanted.
• What is your favorite feature on VegNews.com - Book Club, Cafe VegNews, Savvy Vegan...?

Before you leave your comment - Remember in order to win one of our contests, you need to be a "Member" of Meet The Shannons. If we can't email you, then we can't send you your prize! So before you leave your comment with the answers, make sure you use the "Join" button in the right hand column of this blog.

We'll randomly choose a Member from the correct answers posted below on Jan. 1st and send you a MAJOR AWARD! (Please keep in mind that it will take a few days for processing and shipping). What is this major award all the kids are talking about? Well, a gift pack from VegNews, of course! This includes a one-year subscription, the current issue of VegNews, an over-sized tote bag, and six vegan cookies, a gift pack totaling $50!


I know. That is a Major Award! That goes great with vegan cheesecake... let's make some.

 

Soy Nog Cheesecake with Buttery Rum Sauce
Crust

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Margarine
• 1/4 Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Applesauce 
• 1/4  teaspoon Ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon 
• Pinch of Nutmeg

 Cheesecake

• 3 Packages Vegan Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Flour 
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 3/4 Cup Soy Nog 
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Peel (grated)
• 1 teaspoon Rum or Rum Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg 
• 2 Tablespoons Applesauce
• 3 Tablespoons EnerG Egg Replacer (just the powder not prepared as instructed on the package)
• 2 Tablespoons Vegan Sour Cream
• Vegetable Shortening to grease the Springform Pan

Heat oven to 400.

Assemble bottom and side of the pan; secure side. Lightly grease 9-inch springforn pan with vegetable shortening.

In a bowl, mix the Crust Ingredients with a fork until dough forms; gather into a ball. Press remaining dough 2 inches up side of the pan. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until light golden brown; cool.

Heat oven to 475.

In a bowl, beat Vegan Cream Cheese, Coconut Flour, Sugar, Flour, Orange Peel and Salt with an electric hand held mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Beat in Soy Nog, Rum, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Applesauce, Egg Replacer and Vegan Sour Cream on a low speed until well blended. Make sure you don't have any lumps. Pour your Cheesecake blend into the pan over the crust. Use your spatula to scrap the sides and smooth out the top.

Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 200. Bake for an additional 1 hour - no longer. Cheesecake may not appear done, but if a small area in the center seems soft it will become solid when it cools. Don't do the toothpick/bamboo skewer test. Turn off oven, leave Cheesecake in the oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in a pan on a wire rack away from drafts 30 minutes.

Without releasing or removing side of the pan, run a metal spatula or a butter knife carefully along the side of the Cheesecake to loosen. Refrigerate uncovered overnight at least 9 hours but no longer than 48.

Run metal spatula or butter knife carefully around the side of the Cheesecake to loosen again. Remove the side of the pan.

It's hard being patient but it's how you get the nice clean sides to your cheesecakes.

Leave the Cheesecake on the bottom of the springform pan to serve.

This cheesecake is pretty fabulous but there is one thing that might actually make it better... warm Buttery Rum Sauce. I'll give you a minute to recover from your collective GASP!

Buttery Rum Sauce

• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Margarine 
• 1/4 to 1/2 Brown Sugar 
• 1 teaspoon Rum or Rum Extract

Heat all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat starting with 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar. As it melts, add more 1 tablespoon at time while stirring contentiously.  We ended up adding a little over 1/3 cup. Once your sauce begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Let it cool until it is warm to the touch but not so hot it'll burn your face off. It'll take about 3 minutes.


* I won't lie - this made me laugh for like 15 minutes. 
** Not to be too braggy but my husband is pretty cute.