How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet (29 page)

6 tbsp cane sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

3½ cups flour

½ cup dry sweetener

1 tsp baking powder

dash of salt

¾ cup applesauce
or
egg replacer (to equal 3 eggs)

¼ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup almonds, chopped

¼ cup coconut, shredded

¼ cup chocolate
or
carob chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, mix together the cane sugar and cinnamon and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Add in the applesauce, oil, vanilla, almonds, coconut, and chips and mix together gently until “just mixed.” Separate the dough into 3 balls. Cover your cookie sheet with tin foil, then roll each ball into a snake shape the length of the cookie sheet. Press down a little so the dough is about an inch thick. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. Sprinkle each log with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Before cookies cool, cut each log into 24 slices. Place cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake for another hour at 200°F. Makes 72 small cookies.

HOT WATER PIE CRUST

Does the filling make the pie, or is it the crust? After all, the crust is the foundation that holds this classic dessert together. Without it, it’s just jam.

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 tsp margarine

¾ cup boiling water

3½ cups pastry flour
or
3 cups all-purpose flour
*

2 tbsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

In a large bowl, mix together the shortening, margarine, and water until creamy. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together until a dough forms. Knead for a minute or two. Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill for about 3 hours before rolling it out (not overnight). Roll the dough into individual pie crusts. Makes 2 crusts.

If you want to freeze the dough to use later, roll out to the size you want and place in an airtight container, placing a sheet of wax paper between the sheets of dough. Fold the sheets as necessary to fit in the container, but thaw completely before unfolding and using for pie. When ready to use, bake at 350°F for 15 minutes and let cool before adding filling.

*
Note: white flour works better than whole-wheat flour for pie crusts. You lose some nutrition, but live a little!

SOURDOUGH PIE CRUST

This is a versatile crust. Use with your favourite fruit filling.

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

cup vegetable shortening
or
margarine

cup
sourdough starter

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture and, once well-mixed, add the sourdough starter and stir together well. Set bowl aside and let dough rise, covered, for about half an hour. Roll the dough into a pie crust. Makes 1 crust.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

Use this with the “cheese” cake recipes (
CHOCOLATE “CHEESE” CAKE
-
PINEAPPLE “CHEESE” CAKE
).

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

2-3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp water

dash of salt

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a pie plate or cheesecake pan, using your fingers or the back of spoon. Makes 1 crust.

ROLLED OAT PIE CRUST

This crust is good for apple pie, or in place of the graham cracker crust.

2 cups rolled oat flakes

¼ cup vegetable shortening
or
margarine

½ cup sweetener

¼ tsp cinnamon

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a pie plate or cheesecake pan, using your fingers or the back of spoon. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes before using. Makes 1 crust.

AMAZING APPLE PIE

Just imagine this hot pie cooling on your window sill, brimming with raisins and apples, with a slight hint of maple. It makes a fabulous team with
vanilla ice cream
when served oven-hot. You can add any other fruit combinations. Just subtract 1 apple for each cup of fruit.

6-8 large baking apples (Granny Smith are best), cored and sliced

½ cup raisins (optional)

¾ cup maple syrup

1-2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cinnamon

2½ tbsp cornstarch
or
arrowroot powder

1
pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Core and slice apples into bite-sized pieces. Bring a medium pot of water to boil, then reduce heat to medium and add the apples and optional raisins to simmer for 8-10 minutes. Save ¼ cup of “apple water” for use later. Drain apples and place in a large bowl. Mix carefully together the cooked apples, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small saucepan, mix the ¼ cup “apple water” with the cornstarch over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture turns very thick. Add the cornstarch mixture to the rest of the ingredients, stirring until mixed well. Pour into a pie crust and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Note: If you’re too busy to make a pie crust, there are store-bought crusts available that are vegan! Just check the ingredients.

PERFECT PUMPKIN PIE

Pumpkin, or winter squash, is usually harvested in the fall, just in time for winter solstice and other seasonal holidays. Which is why this pie always makes its way to the table alongside the (
tofu turkey
). This delicious old favourite is sure to be a hit, especially when topped with
whipped cream
.

1½ cups soy milk

egg replacer (to equal 2 eggs)

1 16-oz can of pumpkin

½ cup sweetener

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp powdered ginger

1
pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and the egg replacer. Add the pumpkin, sweetener, cinnamon, and ginger, and mix together well. Pour into a pie crust and bake for 30-40 minutes, until centre is firm.

CREAMY COCONUT PIE

Classically creamy and light as a cloud, this is the kind of pie dreams are made of.

2 cups soft tofu

½ cup oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

1½ cups dry sweetener

2¼ cups coconut, shredded

1 graham cracker pie crust (
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a blender or food processor, blend together the tofu, oil, vanilla, salt, and sweetener. Pour into a large bowl and fold in 2 cups of the coconut. Pour into a graham cracker pie crust and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of coconut on top and bake for another 10 minutes, until filling looks set and centre is firm. Serve chilled.

CHOCOLATE BOURBON PECAN PIE

Formally referred to as the “orgasm pie.” One bite and you will understand. This pie is so elegant and rich, it has a reputation. Three words describe it: “better than sex!”

egg replacer (to equal two eggs)

2 tbsp molasses

½ cup corn syrup

2 tbsp Jack Daniels bourbon (optional)

1 tsp vanilla extract

tsp salt

1½ cups pecans, chopped

1 cup chocolate chips

4 whole pecans

1
pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together the egg replacer, molasses, corn syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate chips and mix together well. Pour into a pie crust and arrange the 4 whole pecans in the centre of the pie as decoration. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-BANANA NO-BAKE PIE

No-bake pie! Sounds crazy, you say? Try it, we say.

1 cup chocolate chips

splash of soy milk

1½ cups applesauce

½ cup dry sweetener

4 bananas, chopped

1
pie crust

In a small double boiler, melt the chocolate chips with a splash of milk over hot water, stirring until smooth. In a blender or food processor, blend together the applesauce, sweetener, bananas, and melted chocolate until well mixed. Pour into the pie crust of your choice. Chill for at least 12 hours before eating.

ANGELIC APPLE CRISP

If there is a heaven, it will have the aroma of baked apples. If heaven has a restaurant, it will serve this apple crisp recipe. Since we’re not in heaven yet, we might as well eat as if we are. This recipe is best with
ice cream
.

6-8 apples, cored and chopped

¼ -½ cup raisins (optional)

cup apple juice