Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie with Praline and Coconut-Pecan Crust

A slice of vegan pumpkin pie heaven. Chill overnight for best texture.

Happy October! Good Goddess, I've been busy. Making a delicious mess in my tiny kitchen. Developing new gluten-free dairy-free dessert recipes for the Winter Food Issue of Allergic Living magazine. So I thought I'd dust the cocoa powder off my hands and take a quick break to share two inspirational things today. The first relates to Fall- my updated Favorite Gluten-Free Autumn Recipes index. Peruse at your leisure, ideally with a big mug of spiced hot cider close by.

The second offering had to be something pumpkin. I mean, it's October. And around here October baking means a certain voluptuous curcurbit is queen. So I did what any gluten-free goddess would do. I dug into the GFG recipe archives. And found a luxurious, creamy vegan pumpkin pie with sweet praline topping and a coconut-pecan crust. Just to keep you occupied until I return with a new gluten-free vegan muffin recipe you're going to love.

Let the pumpkin recipe frenzy begin!

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Chocolate Amaretto Pie (& Home Made cookbook giveaway)

Cookbooks: I read them like novels.  I even get teary.  I love reading how recipes came about and the family stories that go along with them.

I want to introduce you to a beautiful cookbook called Home Made by Yvette Von Boven.  Yvette runs a restaurant and catering business in Amsterdam, along with being a food stylist and recipe developer.

How glamorous is this....she splits her time between Amsterdam and Paris.
{I split my time between the suburbs of Houston and the other suburbs of Houston.}


Home Made is a substantial book, weighing 4 & 1/2 pounds...that's heavier than kiddo when he was born.  The book has everything...cocktails, main courses, desserts, pasta, soups...you name it.  Yvette walks you through making bread, making ice cream (without an ice cream maker), building a simple outdoor grill, making cheese, making chocolates, and more!


And, the book is beautiful.


I tried a recipe called "Chocolate Fondant Cake" which I renamed pie. To me, fondant means the roll out icing that goes over a cake.  Whatever you call it, the cake/pie is sinfully creamy and delicious!

It starts with a cookie crust.  Crust supposed to be made with Amaretti cookies.  I love these little Italian cookies.  In my grocery store, they're not found with the cookies, but over in the "Italian section."  I knew I had a bag in my pantry.


I opened the bag and ate one, you know, for quality control.  Good thing I did, because, oh, they were NOT good. Turns out, they expired over a year ago. I.Let.Cookies.Expire. (hangs head in shame)

Okaaaay....

Gingersnaps to the rescue!


Melt some chocolate,


whip up some cream, add amaretto...chill (you and the pie)...and you have yourself a glorious dessert.


{...aka Chocolate Fondant Cake, adapted from Home Made, serves 12}

1 & 1/4 sticks butter
8 oz amaretti cookies (or gingersnaps)
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 & 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 TBSP sugar
1/3 c. Amaretto (or Frangelico)
cocoa powder

Line an 8 or 9" cake pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over the sides.

Melt the butter.  Process cookies in a food processor until evenly ground.  Stir the butter and crumbs together; press into the bottom of the pan.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Let cool slightly.

Beat the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir in the melted chocolate.  Add the Amaretto and stir.

Fill the pan with the mixture and smooth with an offset spatula. Cover with the excess plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. (I put mine in the freezer for 30 mins - one hour before serving to set it up a bit more.)


Before serving, lift the pie out of the pan , remove the plastic wrap and sift cocoa powder over the top.  Serve small wedges...it's rich!

Want a copy of Home Made for your very own?
Just leave a comment answering this question...

"What is something you've always wanted to make or bake at home, but have never tried?"

Giveaway closed...Jane is the lucky winner! Yay, Jane!

Random winner will be chosen on September 19th at 9pm CST.  Good luck! :)

{Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book at no charge...my opinions and weight I have gained from this recipe are my own.}

Cherry Pie for a Birthday

Mr. E celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago.  And, Mr. E is not a big fan of cake.

It actually took him a few days to decide what he wanted for his birthday "cake" this year.  His answer..."any fruit pie."

Well, I knew exactly what I was going to do.  I emailed my Aunt Janice who makes the best cherry pies and crossed my fingers that the recipe didn't call for tart cherries.

See, I like to feel sorry for myself here in Texas that we don't have access to tart cherries.  They must be really perishable because it seems like we can get any fruit in the world, from any country in the world EXCEPT tart or sour cherries.

And here's where my pity party ends because Aunt Janice's recipe calls for canned tart cherries!!!  And are those not the cutest cans you've ever seen?  I love having them in my pantry. ♥

One more note, this recipe is one that my aunt got from her grandmother, Lolita.  And making a recipe from someone named Lolita really makes me happy.

Cherry Pie
{from Janice & Lolita}

double pie crust (I use this one and SWEAR by it)
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
4 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 cup juice from cherries
3 cups canned pitted tart red cherries (WATER packed, from 2 cans)
1 TBSP butter


Combine 3/4 cup sugar with cornstarch.


Stir in the cherry juice.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Cook 1 more minute.

Add remaining sugar, cherries & butter.  Let stand while preparing pastry.  Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 400.  {Also, have about 17 spoons at the ready...if you are like me, you'll be "testing" the filling quite frequently as it cools.}


(My tip: lightly brush the bottom crust with beaten egg white to prevent a soggy crust.)

Fill the bottom pie crust with the filling.


Cut the top crust with a pastry cutter.

To make a lattice top...

Criss-cross two of the strips across the middle of the pie.

Lay the remaining strips across the pie, lifting up strips as needed.






Now, it's time to trim.

Use a paring knife to trim the edges.


Brush the top with egg whites if desired.

Bake at 400 degrees for 55 minutes on the bottom oven rack. (Place a cookie sheet on the oven floor to catch spills.)

Let cool on a wire rack.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.  (Yes, it's required.)  We like Haagen-Dazs 5-Vanilla Bean.

{Just look at those flaky layers!!!  This pie crust recipe is the secret!}

I think Mr. E chose well!  Fruit pies for birthdays may become a trend around here!

Emergency Dessert . . . Pie Edition

Yes, it's true...at Casa de la Bake at 350, we don't always have dessert.

I try to give away a lot of goodies that come out of the kitchen.  You would think getting the sweets out of the house would be a good thing.
{In reality, that just means I get desperate and eat half a bag of chocolate chips in one sitting.}

So, last week I was having a desperate housewife moment.  Meaning a housewife desperate for pie.  And not pie in 2 hours, pie NOW.

Enter, emergency pie.


Pour some frozen blueberries into a bowl.  Let them thaw for 10 minutes or so.
{Yes, frozen blueberries...for some reason, I like frozen blueberries, and baked blueberries, and dried blueberries, but not fresh blueberries. Anyone with me?}


Top with Cool Whip. (Call the foodie police, I *like* Cool Whip.)


Crumble one graham cracker on top.

Ta-da!  EMERGENCY Blueberry PIE!


{I've posted about emergency dessert before.  What do you do when you have a dessert emergency?}

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Gluten-Free vegan pumpkin cheesecake- creamy and dairy-free.

Darling. It's Monday. Post Boxing Day. And yes, I'm going to be bad. I'm not going to write about Hoppin' John or some healthy New Year's bean soup with kale.  I am going to tease you. I am going to tempt you. I am going to revel in one more dessert recipe before the final eve of 2010 -- a rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake recipe that is worthy of a party. One last hurrah before the pale glare of January dawns in all her cold and sober glory. One last indulgent dessert before I gingerly step on the reality check scale. And sigh.

Because I've noticed my jeans have shrunk again. That familiar jolly pie roll affectionately known as Doris is rolling her merry way up and out of my favorite roomy cargo pants. But is this the week to start counting calories? Is this the week to shun dessert in favor of lettuce? I can answer that. The answer is no. As in N. As in O. No. Nope. Not gonna happen.

If you've got your own alarming version of Doris making her annual appearance around your middle, don't worry. There will be plenty of time in 2011 for detoxing and courting virtue with cabbage soup, recipes that will encourage our collective Doris's -- or would the plural be Dori? -- to skedaddle. I promise. I'll be first in line with smoothie and cleansing soup recipes come January. But this week? Well. Not so much.

Because there's one more cake to share in 2010. And it's cheesecake. And no one will suspect it is vegan and gluten-free. (I won't tell, if you won't.)


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I don't mean to be bossy, but . . .

....you really should make this pie for Thanksgiving.

This Cranberry Apple Pie is my very favorite Thanksgiving pie (don't tell Pumpkin).

It's tart & sweet with a *perfect* flaky and buttery crust.  I think you're going to like it.

Yes, the crust is homemade.  Don't be scared. If *I* can you it, *you* can do it. And really, nothing makes me feel like more of a domestic goddess than making my man a pie with homemade crust.  He'll thank you. 

One thing, though.  Please remember to place the pie on a cookie sheet, or place a cookie sheet below it in the oven.  Someone forgot this time...

For the crust:
(modified from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion)

2 & 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold shortening (Crisco)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 to 1/2 c. ice water
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Reserve a few tablespoons of flour, set aside. Whisk together remaining flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until it is crumbly.

Place the reserved flour on work surface and coat butter in it. Use a rolling pin or your hand to flatten the butter until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Break the flour-coated butter into 1 inch pieces and mix into the dough until it is evenly distributed.

Sprinkle water over the dough while tossing with a fork just until it is easily squeezed into a ball. Flatten into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll each disk into a 12 x 9" rectangle (approx). Fold into thirds, like a letter, then fold again in thirds to form a square. (A bench scraper REALLY helps here!) Wrap both pieces again and refrigerate 30 more minutes.

After 30 minutes, let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes, then roll one out for the bottom crust.  (I can never get mine round...oh, well.)

Line a glass pie pan with the crust and brush with beaten egg white.

Fill with pie filling and add the top crust, venting as desired.  Brush with egg white.

For the Cranberry Apple Pie:
{modified from an old Williams-Sonoma Pies & Tarts cookbook}

1 c. sugar
2 TBSP flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 Granny Smith apples, not the JUMBO ones
2 c. fresh cranberries
zest of one orange
2 TBSP unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat the oven to 425.  Line the bottom of a glass pie pan with pie crust as directed above.  Brush with lightly beaten egg white.

Stir together the sugar, flour and salt. 

Peel, core and slice the apples.

{Do you have one of these contraptions?  I LOVE mine!}

Add the apple slices, cranberries and orange zest to the sugar mixture and toss well. Pile into the prepared pie pan.  Top with bits of butter.

Cover the pie with the top crust and vent as desired.  Brush with the beaten egg white.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes more, until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife.  (Check the crust periodically and tent with foil if it browns before cooking through.)

Cool on a cooling rack.

Serve with ice cream (I recommend Haagen Dazs 5-ingredient Vanilla...heaven!)

You want pie, you got it!  TidyMom is hosting a Love the Pie Party today!

Guest Post from my 10-year-old Neighbor :) *Mini Pecan Pies*

You guys may remember I live next door to a real-life blogger and all-around wonderful person, Kristen from We Are THAT Family. Her precious 10-year-old daughter is guest posting here today.

One day, she mentioned that she loves cooking shows and LOVES Paula Deen & Rachael Ray. So, I loaned her my Paula Deen's Lady & Sons Cookbook.

I kid you not, two hours later she was on my doorstep with warm snickerdoodles. You guys, I got a little teary-eyed.

Here she is...my super sweet in every way, 10-year-old neighbor...

Hey Yall!

I'm Wearethatfamily's  oldest daughter!

 

My wonderful neighbor Bridget and I both love to cook. I made a yummy dessert (Mini Pecan Pies) from a Paula Deen cook book she let me borrow.

I served it  at my mom's jewelry party and it was a huge hit! They tasted just like real pecan pies!

Here's the recipe so you can make it too:

Mini Pecan Pies crust

8 tablespoons butter

1 cup all purpose flour

1 3-ounce package of cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 325.  Soften the cream cheese and butter in the microwave

and then blend it well. Now stir in the flour until you have a dough like mixture.

Let your dough chill for an hour.

While your dough is chilling, use this recipe to make the filling for your pies.

Mini Pecan Pies filling

1 egg
 3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tablespoon of butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla

a dash of salt 

2 thirds of a cup of pecans

First beat your egg, sugar, vanilla, and salt until  it's smooth.  Once your 

dough is chilled,  roll  it into pecan size balls and squish them in the cupcake tins to cover the bottom. Pour your filling in the tins and top with pecans.

Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy!  They will make about twenty four!

I hope yours taste as good as mine did!

Isn't she adorable?!? I was lucky enough to sample a few, ok SEVERAL, of these and they were delicious!

Thank you, sweet neighbor, for guest posting at Bake at 350! I hope you'll come back soon!!!