When I was growing up, my step-mom made us birthday cheesecakes, and I looked forward to them every year. So, when I went vegetarian and eventually vegan, I missed the heck out of cheesecake. In an effort to re-live some of the cheesecakes of my youth, I tried making tofu versions, but they never turned out the way I hoped they would, specifically when it came to texture and flavor. Thankfully we have an option whose texture and flavor is so close to the dairy option that no one will know the difference. The other neat thing is that this recipe is pretty versatile and can be modified in ways that best suit you and your tastes. The versions I've made have included strawberry cheesecake, chocolate chip cheesecake, lemon cheesecake, and pumpkin cheesecake.

This fudge is AH-mazing, and super easy to make. As suggested, I added chocolate. Once the fudge was cooling in the pan, I melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread it all over the top. When I was done eating a square, I felt a strong urge to brush my teeth. However, the fudge is so delicious that I would gladly brush my teeth all day. Yum!