Silk Crunch Cherry Pie, low fat plant-based version

Cherry Pie with oatmeal topping

I have been listening to Katie Herzig singing, "Hey Na Na" a lot lately--it cracks me up.  Very Cherry Pie-ish.
I used to have a cookbook with a recipe for "French Silk Peach Crunch Pie" that was basically peaches swimming in custard with a crumb topping.  Delicious but fattening and now that we don't consume milk products, not that appealing anymore.
I wanted to capture that same fruit and cream texture though, in a plant-based diet version with fresh pie cherries from our local farmer's market.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F then turn down to 350 degrees when you put your pie in the oven.
Bake your pie for 40-50 minutes, or until center is set.

Ingredients:

Start with the lowest fat pie shell you can find or make.  "Wholesome Organic Whole Wheat" is good but has 8 grams of fat per slice--so use sparingly.  Like birthdays, holidays, or not at all.

Filling:

2 1/2 cups pie cherries, pitted
1 box Mori-Nu Soft Silken Tofu
2/3 cup date sugar
1/4 cup rice milk
1/3 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Mix everything together except cherries in a blender then stir in the cherries before pouring into an unbaked pie shell.  Top with crunchy topping:

Topping:

1/4 cup oats
1 Tablespoon date sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla powder
a pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup crushed graham crackers

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until set, cool on wire rack. (In case you didn't see the same message at the beginning because you were in such a hurry to make pie.)

If you would like to make a plain cherry pie without the tofu filling:


Alternative filling:


3 cups pie cherries, pitted
2/3 cups date sugar
pinch salt
1/3 cup cornstarch

Stir together, pour into unbaked pie shell and top with crunchy topping.  Bake 40 minutes.
Yummy served with non-dairy low fat ice cream.  You really should be sitting on a swing out on the porch when you eat this if you can.
:)

Plant based Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie ready to pop into the oven.

Recipe for bourbon sweet potato pie made without eggs, sugar or butter for the plant based dieter for the holidays:

1 pre-made whole grain pie shell
2 cups baked sweet potato, without skin
1/2 box silken soft tofu
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup almond milk
4 ounces pitted dates
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon agar powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Soak dates in boiling water for 5 minutes, process in magic bullet or equal until smooth. Combine all ingredients in vitamix or food processor until smooth and pour into shell. Sprinkle coarse raw sugar over the top before baking at 350 degree Fahrenheit for one hour. Cool on wire rack, the agar will continue to set the custard as it cools.  Serve at room temperature and refrigerate leftovers.

Plant based Pecan Pie

Recipe for Pecan Pie without eggs, sugar and butter:

Glazed pecans prior to pouring custard filling over the top (which turned out to be less than optimal for the finished appearance—thus, no photo of the baked pie).

1 pre-made whole grain 9" pie shell
10 ounces pecans
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons vegan butter
1/2 cup boiling water
4 pounces whole pitted dates
1/2 box soft silken tofu
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon agar powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place pecans in nonstick skillet with the vegan butter and 1/4 cup of the maple syrup. Stir over medium heat until sauce is hot and bubbly and all nuts are coated for about 4 minutes--do not burn! Turn off heat.
Meanwhile, soak dates in boiling water (in a mixing cup used with a magic bullet if you have one). Purée until creamy.  Combine with all remaining ingredients in a vitamix blender or food processor and process until smooth. Stir custard mixture into nut mixture and pour into pie shell.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Note: On my first attempt I thought that placing the nuts in the shell first and then pouring the custard over the top would work but the pecans didn't rise to the surface while baking and the pie didn't turn out looking like a traditional pecan pie.  Learn from my mistake.

Rhubarb Pie with Oregon Berries

We like to keep frozen mixed berries in the freezer for pies, oatmeal and smoothies.  I also like to keep a few packages of frozen rhubarb for those lazy Sunday afternoons when I feel like baking a pie but I don't want to completely sabotage my health with traditional ingredients like butter, eggs, pastry and cream.
Here is a simple little berry pie made with ground up dates instead of white sugar for your weak moments and sweet tooth cravings.

Rhubarb Berry Pie

A little slice of heaven!

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen rhubarb
2 cups frozen mixed berries
3/4 cup date sugar (ground dates)
1/4 cup corn starch
1 teaspoon agar powder (a thickener)
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch nutmeg
1 9" pie shell such as low fat graham cracker type, or just put into pie plate that has been lightly sprayed with oil and dusted with oat flour.  DO NOT USE PASTRY, IT HAS TOO MUCH FAT!!!

Place rhubarb and berries in skillet over medium heat with water to thaw for 3 minutes or so.  Stir in other ingredients and then transfer to pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees f. for 40 minutes.  Cool on wire rack and dust lightly with powdered sugar, optional.

Plant Based Pumpkin Pie

Here is a pumpkin pie recipe without dairy or eggs for a special occasion.  "Special occasion" because I used non-dairy eggnog instead of non-dairy milk as the primary custard ingredient and it contains more fat than would be ideal for regular use.  But this turned out pretty good, I know because my husband closed his eyes and hummed with each bite.  So this is "blog worthy" and just in time for the holidays!

Pumpkin Pie made with Soy Delicious Egg Nog

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Serves 8.

Ingredients:

15 ounces canned pumpkin

12 ounces Soy Delicious Egg Nog made from coconut milk

3/4 cup date sugar

2 tablespoons egg replacer powder

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon agar powder  (this stuff is the best for making custards firm)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 9" graham cracker pie shell, low fat type or homemade

Combine all ingredients except pie shell in Vita-mix blender or equal and process until smooth.  Pour into shell and bake for one hour at 350 degrees.

Cool on wire rack, refrigerate leftovers.

Individual Berry Crumble

This time of year calls for warm berry desserts whenever possible, don't you think?  This recipe will fill 4 10 ounce ramekins, so you can share or have your own comfort fest 4 nights in a row.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Crumble Recipe
6 lowfat graham crackers
1/4 cup walnuts
1/8 cup old fashioned oats
1/8 cup orange juice
1/8 cup agave nectar

Process until mixture is a fine crumb.  Spray ramekins lightly with oil and coat with crumb mixture, leaving 1/4 inch layer in bottom.

10 oz. ramekin prepared for berry filling

Berry Filling
4 cups frozen mixed berries, or fresh if you have them
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/8 cup corn starch
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
pinch each of nutmeg and salt

Place berries in large skillet over medium heat.  Combine all other ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to eliminate any clumps.  Pour liquid mixture over the berries and cook until thickened.  Transfer berry filling to the four ramekins and top each with 1/4 of the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes or until your house smells heavenly.  It's time to sit down and relax over a warm dessert, preferably with a scoop of vanilla non-dairy ice cream.

Pre-cooked berry filling ready for a crumb topping

Ready to pop into the oven for 45 min.

Not exactly picture perfect but the evidence will be gone in no-time.

Lemon Cream Pie, Vegan-style without added fat

Lemon Cream Pie Recipe

One graham cracker pie crust: 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (from homemade cracker recipe)

1/4 cup sugar

One individual size container applesauce

Thoroughly combine and press into 9" glass pie plate If you are in a hurry or don't want to make your own, there is a frozen whole wheat pie crust, lowfat vegan that we tried tonight and it is pretty good.

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 cup custard powder

1 Tablespoon egg replacer powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 box soft Mori-Nu tofu

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Zest from one lemon

1 tsp. lemon extract

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

Mix filling with blender and pour into pie shell.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until center is nearly set.

Cool completely before serving with a dollop of non-dairy whipped cream (Soyatoo! Rice Whip)

Chocolate Cream Pie, PBNAF

I finally figured out how to make a chocolate pie that isn't runny when you cut into it!  It has only taken me 6 months of being on this plant-based, no added fat style of eating.

Filling:
2 1/2 cups almond milk or fat-free soy milk
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup corn starch
1/4 cup Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup custard powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch chili powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 non-fat pie shell, unbaked crumb crust or pre-baked other type

Place all ingredients except vanilla extract into top of double boiler, or a large metal or glass bowl placed on top of a pot of simmering water.
The first time I made this I cooked it in a 2 quart saucepan and had to really fight to keep it from becoming lumpy.  So learn from my mistake, it will be a lot easier in a double boiler although it will take more time.
After the filling has become thickened and bubbly, remove from heat and add vanilla before placing into a pie shell.  Cool in fridge for a couple of hours before cutting.  Top with Rice Whipped Cream (non-dairy but much better tasting than Soy Whip).

Chocolate Crumb Crust for Pie, No added fat (or PBNAF)

This is a continuation of the homemade graham cracker recipe to make a chocolate crumb crust.

Ingredients:
2 cups homemade or whole grain fat-free graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons raw sugar
2 tablespoons extra dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla powder
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons orange juice or Frangelico liquor

Place dry ingredients into 9" pie plate and mix together with fork.  Sprinkle wet ingredients over the dry mix and continue tossing together until fully incorporated.  Press against sides and bottom of pie plate and refrigerate until filling is ready.

Homemade Graham crackers without added fat

Well, in my quest to make a chocolate cream pie without dairy products, the hardest part has been the pie crust. Store bought Graham crackers and pre-made Graham cracker pie crusts have too much fat. Alton Brown offers a recipe for homemade Graham crackers but it includes 3 ounces of BUTTER and WHOLE milk. Can homemade Graham crackers made without butter, whole milk and white flour be good enough to crush into a nice crumb pie crust? Let's find out to the music of The Cranberries!

Ingredients:
8 3/8 ounces whole wheat flour (or Graham flour if you have it)
1 7/8 ounces oat flour
3 ounces dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces applesauce
2 1/4 ounces molasses
1 1/2 ounces almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Place all dry ingredients in food processor and pulse to break up any lumps in the brown sugar. With the food processor turned on, add wet ingredients in a steady stream. Don't over mix, turn machine off just as soon as dough is combined. Turn out onto plastic wrap, form into a disk and wrap and chill for 30 minutes (this was probably because of the butter, which I removed, so this step may not be necessary).
Preheat the oven to 350 f.
Unwrap the chilled dough and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper until 1/8" thick.  (Cash 'N Carry sells a large pad of flat parchment paper --1000 sheets--for about $35.00 and it will last forever--each sheet covers two home jelly roll pans so that's really 2000 sheets for you and I).
Slide the rolled dough onto a cookie sheet and cut into 2" squares, poke holes all over and bake on middle rack for 25 minutes or until edges just start to darken.  Cool completely before breaking apart.  If any crackers are still soft, place back into warm oven to continue drying or place them in a food dehydrator until dry.
These crackers can be crushed and used to make a fat free crumb crust for a pie.  They are a little too hard for just snacking.  Unless you are marooned and starving.

PBNAF Pumpkin Pie

7/8 cup date sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp agar powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp egg replacer powder
1/4 cup custard powder
15 oz can Libby's Pure Pumpkin, or two cups from the larger can
1 2/3 cups almond milk
1 unbaked fat free pie shell

Mix all dry ingredients together and add to wet ingredients, mix until combined. Pour into pie shell and bake at 400 degree f for 15 min, reduce temperature to 350 and continue baking for an additional 50 minutes.
Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temperature.  If you serve it hot, the agar powder won't have had time to set the custard into a firm pie and it will seem under-baked.

Note:  All listed spices can be replaced with 1 teaspoon "pumpkin pie spice".