Vegan Diner (30 page)

Crust

1
½
cups graham cracker crumbs

¼
cup packed light brown sugar

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

Filling

1 (12.3-ounce) package extra firm silken tofu

¾
cup coconut milk (not low-fat)

¾
cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¾
cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

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

For the crust:
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and brown sugar until finely ground. Add the melted margarine, and pulse until well mixed. Scoop the crumbs into the prepared pie plate, pressing into the bottom and up sides of the pan. Place the crust in the oven and bake until fragrant and edges are lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.

For the filling:
In a clean food processor bowl, combine the tofu and coconut milk and blend until ultra-smooth. This might take a few minutes, as you don't want any lumps of tofu. Add the sugar and cornstarch, blending again until very smooth.

Place the coconut mixture into a medium saucepan and stir in the pineapple. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking continuously until thick and custardy, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so that the filling does not burn.

Scoop the hot coconut mixture into prepared pie shell, smoothing top. Let the pie cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve the pie chilled.

Silken tofu is a
magical ingredient for so many recipes. Part of the beauty lies in the fact that once silken tofu is whipped up in the blender or food processor, it becomes super silky and smooth. Mori-Nu carries a line of shelf-stable (non-refrigerated) silken tofu, perfect to keep in the pantry for last-minute cream pie cravings.

This pie is where Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies and chocolate
mousse meet. It also happens to be a show-stopper dessert, making the perfect dessert to serve to guests if you want them to say, “Wow, there is no way that that pie is vegan.”

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

2 cups nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

¼
cup vanilla soymilk

1
½
boxes (12.3 ounces per box) silken firm or extra firm tofu, at room temperature

½
cup confectioners' sugar

½
teaspoon peppermint extract

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

For the crust:
In a food processor, pulse the cookies until they are fine crumbs. Add the melted butter 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 from the oven and let cool completely on a rack.

For the filling:
in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and soymilk and heat on high for 30 seconds. Give the chocolate a stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth, and shiny. If the chocolate is not completely melted after stirring, heat for another 15 to 20 seconds. Alternatively you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the tofu and blend until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, and blend again until it is ultra smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and peppermint extract and blend again until mixture is smooth and fluffy.

Spread the chocolate mixture into cooled piecrust and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until the pie is firm enough to slice. If desired, top with coarsely crushed sandwich cookies or chocolate chips.

Tip:
Although you can melt chocolate in a double boiler using a metal bowl set atop a pot of gently simmering water, I actually prefer melting chocolate in a microwave. It really just comes down to pure laziness on my part, but it's quick, easy, and only uses one bowl.

I always have a couple of dessert recipes in my “bag of tricks,”
the recipes that I reach for when I have to throw a fabulous dessert together quickly for drop-in guests. This pie never disappoints, and because it's crust-less and you can use frozen berries on hand, you can literally make it in no time flat. No matter how easy it is to make, your guests will be impressed with your pie-making skills. Guaranteed!

MAKES ONE 10-INCH PIE

Filling

6 cups frozen blackberries

⅔
cup granulated sugar

¼
cup cornstarch

Topping

¾
cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½
cup old fashioned rolled oats

½
cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet or glass or ceramic pie plate with shortening.

For the filling:
In a saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, and
¼
cup water. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 5 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the hot berries, and simmer until thick and mixture is clear, stirring continuously.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and scoop the berry mixture into the prepared pan.

For the topping:
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted margarine, stirring until incorporated. Using your fingertips, work the margarine into the flour mixture, squeezing until nice and crumbly.

Sprinkle the topping over the blackberry filling and bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the topping is nicely browned.

Variation:
Use frozen boysenberries, blueberries, or mixed berries for different berry pie combinations.

I love serving desserts in cast-iron skillets.
The pie is delicious served à la mode, with a scoop of homemade (or store-bought, if you must) ice cream.

MAKES ONE 10-INCH PIE