Vegan Diner (29 page)

¾
cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (9-inch) frozen vegan deep-dish pie crust (leave in the freezer until ready to use) or homemade crust (see
page 136
)

Topping

¾
cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½
cup packed light brown sugar

½
teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons (
½
stick) non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

For the filling:
In a large bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Make sure that the apples are well coated.

Scoop the filling into the frozen crust. Gently press the apples into the crust. Bake the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.

For the topping:
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well mixed. Add the melted margarine and stir until mixed. Using your hands, squeeze the topping so that it forms crumbly pieces.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Crumble the topping over the apples. Bake the pie for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned. If the pie starts to brown too quickly, loosely place a piece of foil over the pie, tenting it, and continue baking.

Let the pie cool completely before serving.

Tip:
Look for frozen organic vegan piecrusts at well stocked grocery and health food stores (see Resources
page 183
). If your apples aren't really large, use 6 or 7, depending on the size.

Variations:
Omit the lemon zest and add 1 teaspoon ground allspice and
½
teaspoon ground nutmeg. For an apple raisin pie, omit the lemon zest and add
⅓
to
½
cup raisins to the filling. For an apple cranberry pie, use 3 apples for the filling and add 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries.

Here is my tribute to the old Southern favorite,
banana pudding. I've given it a little modern twist and put the pudding over a vanilla cookie crust with a layer of fresh sliced bananas. Vegan pudding has never tasted so good!

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Crust

21 vegan cream-filled vanilla sandwich cookies

4 tablespoons
½
stick non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

Filling

2 small bananas, sliced

½
cup cornstarch (not packed)

2 cups vanilla soymilk, divided

¾
cup soy creamer

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated vegan margarine

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate with shortening.

For the crust:
In a food processor, pulse the cookies into fine crumbs. Add the melted margarine and pulse again until incorporated and mixed well. Press the crumbs into the prepared pie plate. Place the crust in the oven and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.

For the filling:
Place the banana slices into the bottom of the cooled crust, spreading them into an even layer.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and
½
cup of the soymilk. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining soymilk, creamer, and sugar, stirring well. Place the saucepan over medium heat, whisking continuously, and bring to a simmer. Give the reserved cornstarch mixture a stir to mix, and add to the hot soymilk. Whisk the pudding continuously, about 5 minutes, until the mixture is very thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the margarine and vanilla. Scoop the pudding into a bowl and place the bowl in a larger shallow bowl filled part way with ice water. Whisk the pudding continuously for the first 5 minutes or so as it cools, then whisk intermittently for another 10 minutes or so. Whisk it as it cools to prevent a skin from forming on the top.

Once the pudding is no longer hot, and just a little warm, spread the pudding into the crust over the bananas, swirling the top slightly with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate the pie for a couple of hours, or until the pudding has firmed up enough to slice.

This pie takes dessert to a whole new level,
and will have everyone asking you what fancy bakery it came from. It goes together easily, requiring very little cooking. It's a fun twist on the traditional diner-style strawberry pie, with layers of chocolate cream and fresh seasonal berries.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

Crust

21 vegan cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (or substitute vanilla sandwich cookies)

4 tablespoons (
½
stick) non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

Filling

¾
cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

¼
cup vanilla soymilk

1 tablespoon strawberry or raspberry liqueur

4 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled and patted dry

Topping

½
cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vanilla soymilk

1 tablespoon strawberry or raspberry liqueur

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate

For the crust:
In a food processor, pulse cookies until you've got crumbs. Add the melted margarine and pulse again until incorporated and mixed well. Press crumbs into the prepared pie plate. Place the crust in the oven and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.

For the filling:
In a small microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, combine the chocolate chips, soymilk, and liqueur. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir as needed until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. If necessary, heat chocolate chips for another 20 seconds or as needed. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Spread the smooth chocolate mixture into the bottom of the chocolate crust. Top with whole strawberries, arranging them with the tips up to cover the chocolate filling entirely. Gently press the strawberries into the chocolate crust, with a very light touch.

For the topping:
In a small microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, combine the chocolate chips, soymilk, and the liqueur. Heat is the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and shiny. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Drizzle the warm topping over the pie in a decorative fashion.Refrigerate the pie for one hour, or until the chocolate is firm.

Tip:
This pie is best served the day it is made.

When I close my eyes and think of diner desserts, cream pies
are the first thing to come to mind. Silken tofu gives the filling a nice boost of protein, and contributes to its silky texture. The coconut milk adds richness and tropical flavor.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE