ABOUT THE RECIPE:
To finish any festive meal with a flourish, I take a cue from my mother, who always offered a homemade pecan pie as the finale for our holiday get togethers. Now I have carried on that tradition with an innovative and tasty "Vegan Black Forest Pecan Pie" recipe! It's my vegan version of Mom's scrumptious, gooey pie and it features a gluten-free, flourless crust. Serve this sweet treat with optional "Vegan Vanilla Crème Fraîche" (recipe below) on the side, if desired. I must admit, I think this is one of the most decadent tasting desserts I have ever created!
Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST
FILLING
PECAN TOPPING
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
To make the CRUST, put 10 pitted dates, oats, coconut, and 1/4 cup pecans in a high-performance blender or food processor, and process to the consistency of soft dough.
Transfer the dough onto a board and form it into a ball. Flatten the dough slightly with your hands, and then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 10-inch round (see important note). Invert the dough on to a non-stick 9-inch pie plate (see important note). Press the date mixture evenly over the bottom of the plate, pushing it up the sides of the pie plate as you go, to make a crust.
To craft a pretty edge to the crust, use your index finger to push the inner edge of the crust out, while pinching the outer edge in with the thumb and index finger of your other hand to make a classic scalloped edge around the top perimeter of the pie crust.
To make the FILLING, put the maple syrup, molasses, chocolate chips, 5 pitted dates, vegan buttery spread, water, and vanilla extract in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour the maple/chocolate chip mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Fold in 1½ cups pecan halves. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top using a rubber spatula.
Gently press 14 to 16 pecan halves into the top of the pie (see important note), arranging them in a pleasing manner. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the edges start to set and turn golden. Remove pie from oven. (At this point, if edges of crust are getting too brown, decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F.) Loosely tent the pie with foil and bake for 5 to 8 minutes more, or until the pie has almost set in the middle. The filling will still be somewhat soft.
Carefully put the pie on a wire rack (the filling will be very hot!) and let cool for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the pie to firm up. Serve the pie with optional VEGAN VANILLA CRÉME FRAÎCHE (recipe below) on the side, if desired. Tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator, leftover pie will keep for up to 3 days.
NOTE: The dough will be very sticky! If you find that the dough is sticking to your rolling pin, place a piece of unbleached parchment paper (or eco-friendly wax paper) on top of (and underneath) the dough before rolling out the dough.
NOTE: If you are not using a non-stick pie plate, coat the plate with a bit of vegan buttery spread before placing the dough in the plate.
NOTE: If desired, wait and put the 14 to 16 pecan halves on top of the pie about half way though baking.
VEGAN VANILLA CRÉME FRAÎCHE
Makes 4 servings
Put all of the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup if sweeter flavor is desired. Chill 2 to 4 hours and serve. This vegan whipped topping is delicious served over cakes, pies, fresh fruit, and tarts.
0 servings