Coconut Cream Pie with Pecan Crust - Vegan

Makes one 9-inch or four 4-inch pies

Light coconut flavor, creamy custard, fluffy whipped cream, crispy nutty crust and just a bit of dark chocolate.

Pecan-Wheat Germ Press-In Pie Crust

1.25 C pecans, ground
.5 C raw wheat germ
2 T sugar
2 T AP flour
1 T lightly toasted unsweetened coconut
.25 t salt
3 T non-hydrogenated margarine

2 oz unsweetened chocolate

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a food processor, process pecans to a medium grind – some larger and smaller pieces are fine. Be careful not to overprocess to nuts into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients except for chocolate and pulse until just combined.

Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate (four 4-inch mini-pie plates). Bake 20-25 (12-25) minutes or until light golden brown and slightly aromatic. Cool completely.

Melt the unsweetened chocolate and drizzle or brush over the bottom of the tart shell. Let set at least 15 minutes or chill in refrigerator for at least 5 minutes before filling.


Coconut Pastry Creme
modified from the vegan chef

.25 C unbleached AP flour
.25 C garbanzo bean flour
2 C coconut milk
.5 C sugar
pinch fine ground white pepper
pinch turmeric
pinch of salt
2 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla

In a small bowl, make a slurry of the flours and .5 C milk and set aside.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, sugar and salt. Whisk to incorporate the flour mixture into the liquid ingredients.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 4-6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and continue cook and additional minute. Remove from heat and transfer crème to a clean bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper, pressing the cover to the top of the crème to prevent skin formation. Cool completely before using.


Assembly

soy or rice whipped cream
baked, chocolate brushed pie shell
coconut pastry creme

Stir creme to loosen it up before folding in .5 C of whipped cream. Spread lightened creme into prepared shell. Decorate top of pie with remaining whipped cream (a simple starpoint pattern or wavy lines look lovely). Dust the top with cinnamon, drizzle with melted unsweetened chocolate or sprinkle on some toasted unsweetened shredded coconut. Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cover with plastic wrap if reserving for a longer period, up to a day in the refrigerator.