Maple Walnut Pie

One again... ate 90% of it before a photo could be taken..... :)

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a festive pie that I actually made for a pre-Halloween pumpkin carving party.  It was delicious, and I liked that it was less traditional than your typical pecan pie. (and also... walnuts are cheaper than pecans! :) )

Crust:

1/2 c + 3 tbs millet flour
1/2 c garbanzo bean flour
1 tbs potato starch
1/8+ tsp salt           ---> combine dry ingredients
3 tbs ghee              ---> mix into dry ingredients to make velevety consisitency
3 tbs ghee              ---> mix coarsely to form pea sized balls
~1 tbs ice-cold water   ---> drizzle in, gently mixing until dough forms into a ball

Roll out for a 8.5" pie pan (8 or 9" would work too) on waxed paper. Place the pie pan upside-down on the rolled dough, and use the waxed paper to flip the crust into the pan. Repair any cracks that may form, then crimp edges
Prick bottom and sides of pastry with fork. Line edges of crust with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes at 450 F.. Remove foil, them bake 5 minutes more or until crust is lightly browned cool. Reduce oven to 350 F.


Filling:


1.5 c maple flavored agave (or maple syrup, if you can eat it)
3 eggs
4 tbs ghee
2 tbs coconut oil
1/3 c coconut sugar
1/4 c erythritol (or more coconut sugar)
2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tbs vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp tapioca flour


Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored, ~5 minutes. Add ghee/coconut oil (softened), beat in. Add all other ingrdients and mix, then fold in walnuts. Pour into crust. Bake on baking sheet for ~45 minutes, or until middle just begins to set but edges are not burned. If edges seem to be cooking too quickly (browning) before middle begins to set, turn temeprature down slightly.  Cool before serving.


Tastes like a cross between a pecan pie and maple stick donuts. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 ... and Happy Pi Day- also belated. I've had a lot going on (see bottom of post), so sorry for not getting these up on time!

Leprechaun Pudding with Gold-Chocolate Crumbles!

 

Creme de Menthe Pie

Irish Soda Bread!

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1. Lepruchaun Pudding with Gold-Chocolate Crumbles

 Pudding:

1 banana
1 generous handful spinach
2 tsp vanilla   ---->  puree in magic bullet until smooth


2 tbs walnuts
2 tbs raisins
1 tbs cocoa powder
dash of salt   ----> pulse in magic bullet until it clumps
 
Pour pudding into a bowl and top with chocolate crumbles. It tastes light and sweet-- you can't taste the spinach at all, but it adds a healthy punch (which also makes this recipe very breakfast-eligible!)


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2. Creme de Menth Pie (aka Grasshopper Pie)

So, making this didn't end up going as smoothly as I had hoped.

I was going off of this recipe from pure2raw, but ended up adding WAY too much guar gum..... which turned my filling into rubber. So, whatever you do, do NOT add two tablespoons of guar gum to two avocados and expect edible pie filling. Seriously-- it almost broke my Bullet!

That being said, I worked for about two hours trying to salvage the filling, and I finally got it to a delicious flavor and "acceptable" consistency-- still all but too rubbery for me to really be satisfied. Nevertheless, all three of my taste testers stated it tasted just like the "real" version that my mom made.

So, since I was in "salvage mode" as I threw together ingredients, I didnt' record much. If you're interested in making this pie, I recommend going from the pure2raw version, with the possible modification of adding lemon juice to the avocado layer (helps reduce browning, too!) The color of the pie did start out avodaco-green, but slowly began to brown after some fridge-time.


Crust: (delicious!):

1/4 c walnuts
1/4 c coconut powder/flakes
1/4 c raisins
1 date, chopped
2 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs vanilla      ----> pulse in Bullet until powdery/clumping, then press into bottom of 6 inch pie pan


Garnish layer: (yummy but not minty) -- this is the dark green layer on top and bottom

1 banana
1/4 c yacon powder (kinda gross)
stevia/agave to sweeten
vanilla (will darken color)
little bit of spinach, purreed/juiced, to green it up 
almond milk to thin to desired consistency     ---> puree it all until smooth


Main filling layer:

2 avocados
1/2 tbs guar gum? start low and add more! (2 tbs = rubber, fyi)
2 tsp peppermint oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
almond milk to thin if guar gum over-rubberizes
agave to sweeten
   ... aaaand a pinch of Irish luck that it works easily!      ----> puree in Vitamix/Bullet/whip together by hand


White whipped meringue layer:

1.5 tbs coconut oil, softened (I used the non-coconut-y kind)
1.5 tbs ghee, softened
1/2 c erythritol, powdered
if needed, almond milk to thin to desired consistency    ----> blend in Bullet until creamy and smooth

Assembly: On top of crust, spread half of Garnish layer, then freeze to harden. Next, pour in all of Main filling layer, freeze again. Cover with the rest of garnish layer or white layer to prevent browning; alternately, use both to decorate. Perfect taste is definitely attainable, even if consistency may be a bit more challenging!


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3. Irish soda bread!    

        
Now THIS is an epic win. Epic, I tell you-- EPIC! Way better than my mom's breadmaker Irish soda bread (probs cuz I made mine sweeter!), and definitely the best ACD bread I've ever made. It's almost like a coffee cake, but still bread-y enough to be eaten with dinner (Irish stew, which we had yesterday!)


THE RECIPE:

2 cups gluten-free flour blend:
         1/2 c oat flour
         1/2 c brown rice flour
         1 cup mix of: garbanzo flour, amaranth flour, all-purpose GF blend
1.5 tablespoons agave (or to taste)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt                     
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg                              ----> stir together dry ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil            
2 tbs ghee                                    ---->cut, then pinch fats into dry ingredients to obtain a sandy texture
½ cup raisins                                ----> fluff into the mixture
¾ cups buttermilk:                        ----> add to dry ingredients to form dough
          1.5 tbs apple cider vinegar
          scant 3/4 c almond milk ----> let mixture sit 10 mins

(Batter should taste delicious (almost cookie-like) on its own too!)

Preheat oven to 400. Add extra flour until dough is kneadable, then knead a few times on waxed paper sprinkled with (oat/rice) flour. Shape into a 6-inch loaf on a greased cookie sheet and slice an 'X' on top with a knife. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes. Yum!

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So, I said I've had a lot going on-- most recently, one of our two cats passed away two days ago, after 19 years of being our faithful friend. (This dampened our St. Patty's festivities- hence the late posts!)

Misty and I playing volleyball.

When I was five years old, my sister and I each adopted a kitten. My sister picked a lively black and white kitty, which she named Misty Moonmew Oreo. I picked a friendly orange tabby, who I dubbed Starry Crystalmew Peanut. Misty and Starry were our best companions, and grew up beside us for the greater portions of both of our lives.

Coming up upon their twentieth birthdays (July 13), both cats have been slowing down, but still happy and enjoying life. Misty began fairing a little worse, and she had a noticeable lump on one side of her abdomen. She was active and spunky up until the afternoon of March 16, at which point she laid down on her special chair cushion- and never did get up. She faded for a few hours, occasionally appearing to have minor seizures or spasms of her arms and legs. We stayed with her right up until the end, and are thankful that she did not suffer long. She was cremated today at a special pet facility, and at this point we plan to keep her ashes in a cat-shaped urn, in the home that she loved so well.

Her temporary coffin with candle and flowers.

Misty was lively and smart, and always was the first one to the door to greet company. She had flair: loved to eat cooked broccoli, raw tomatoes, strawberries, grapes-- we called her a 'little human.' She was fascinated by running water in the shower, and thus was also our resident 'hydrologist.'  On her black face she had a white diamond marking on her nose, and a little white beauty-mark dot.

As my sister put it, "We're not kids anymore- Misty's dead!" and indeed, it is a whole new concept to be without one family member. I'm thankful for the time that we had with her and for her companionship throughout the years. RIP Misty!


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Switching gears to a happier tone: I returned from my week-long trip to Carnival in Trinidad on Sunday. It was AWESOME, and my month or raw-dieting sure paid off while I was strutting my stuff in my skimpy costume! Here are some shots from the fun:

Drinking coconut water straight from the coconut!!!!

Chrysocolla girls of the group (guess who I am...)

Summarizes the scene through town- for two days straight!

 Climbing.........                                                                                     for...........

                                                                 COCONUTS!!!

(even though they were unipe/inedible!)

--> all in all, SUPERfun trip! A million thanks to my Trini girl for giving me the best vaycay ever!


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Pecan Pie

This version may be sans-rum, but all other deliciousness is preserved.

THE RECIPE:

Crust:
1/2 c garbanzo bean flour
1/2 c millet flour
1/2 tsp potato starch
1/8 tsp salt
3/8 c extra light olive oil (or coconut) / add until crust just barely sticks together.

Cut oil into the dry ingredients using two knives, pastry-style. Mix until beads of dough are pea-shaped.
To save time, I didn't even roll out the crust-- just plopped the dough into the pie tin, then used a spoon to press it into shape. 

The Filling:
2 eggs
1/4 c coconut oil, melted
1/4 c ghee, melted
1 tbs tapioca flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs milk
1/4 c xylitol/erythritol
3/4 c agave nectar
1 c chopped pecans

Beat eggs until foamy, then stir in melted oil/ghee. Stir in sweeteners, vanilla, and flour. Mix well, then stir in pecans. 
Pour mixture into crust in pie tin:

Bake for 10 minutes at 400 F, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30-40 minutes-- or until filling doesn't tremble when touched, /is no longer foamy and light.
 

This pie makes a delicious custard filling with pecans on top. It's delicious. And, funfact: my mom made a sugary family-pie at the same time that I made mine. And, hers ended up far LESS successful than mine. This could be due to the fact that she accidentally added twice the necessary butter, but I can still state that my recipe worked way better than the standard one.






Success! A wonderful Christmas dinner dessert.

22/7

22/7, 3.141592..., pi, ... , PIE!!

Call it what you want, it's delicious.

Actually, to be honest, I've never been much of a pie person. Ice box, pudding pies? Well, maybe those. But nothing with fruit in it!

This is probably due to the fact that when growing up, I don't think my mom ever once made a home-made fruit pie. Thus, the only pies on which my opinions were based were those from boxes in the freezer.

Ah, the store-bought pie: cardboard-crust; gel-like, corn-syrup filling; unnaturally slimy-yet-crunchy fruit chunks. No, thank you.

There was, however, one freezer-fruit-pie that I could slightly bear, years ago. It was a Sara Lee "Fruits of the Forest" pie, and- like I said- it was bearable.


But then I went to Montana, this year and last year, and my grandparents made their own "Fruits of the Forest" pie. The berries may have been from the frozen section of Walmart, but the crust was purely from scratch. But of course full of butter and wheat and sugar and I couldn't eat any of it.

Thus, I created my own masterpiece upon return to the East coast. And, I must say, this is possibly my favorite thing I've ever made, and, I am now a pie convert.

So, I present: FRUTAS DEL BOSQUE: THE BERRY PIE
(when I was in Granada there was a Frutas del Bosque ice cream flavor at heladeria tiggliani, and thus anything "Fruits of the Forest" reminds me of that.)

THE RECIPE:

Crust:
1.5c garbanzo bean flour
1.5c millet flour
1.5 tsp potato starch
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c extra light olive oil (or coconut)

Filling:
1 bag frozen mixed berries (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, strawberry combo)
1 tbs tapioca flour
15 drops stevia
1 tsp lemon juice

Prepare crust:
Combine dry ingredients, then slowly add oil, cutting it into the dough. Consistency should be stiffer than cookie dough. Place in fridge to chill.

Prepare filling:
Dump thawed berry mixture into a bowl. Use a fork and scissors to cut up large chunks (like big strawberries).Add tapioca flour and lemon juice, mixing thoroughly. Then sweeten with liquid stevia to taste. (Tapioca flour will thicken when heat-activated, so don't worry that filling will be runny until then)

Prepare pie!:
Remove about half of the crust dough, and roll out to 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of waxed paper.
Dough will slightly stick to paper, so use it to flip rolled dough into a pie tin.

Next, pour filling mixture into the crust.

Roll out the rest of the crust to make the top of the pie. Since this GF crust brakes rather easily, I don't recommend a solid top, unless you are feeling particularly brave, and have a whole lot of patience. Instead, I opted for the lattice.

Slice dough into 1-inch wide strips.
I insisted on a completely alternating under-over weave- which traditionally requires folding back the "over" strips. Seeing as this dough doesn't exactly "fold", I ended up doing a lot of patching.

This turned out fine, but it might be easier to be less rigorous with your weave, and instead just start laying a strip at one corner. Place the next strip to form the rest of the corner, 90 degrees to the first one. Continue working across the pie, laying each strip at 90 degrees to the last one. No folding necessary, but you also don't get the genuine weave.

Place pie on a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil, so that any overflowed filling doesn't make a mess.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees, and bake until done- about 30 minutes.


Remove from oven and let cool until slicing.

Enjoy the flaky crust, fresh berry filling- just the right level of firmness!

Deeeeeelicious.

Seriously, this pie is delicious. I bought Rice Dream to put on it, but didn't even use it, because it was too good on its own. I gobbled it up within a week!