What to do with those pumpkin insides? Why, make a pie of course!
Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie: When you serve this pie, don’t feel obligated to tell your family or guests that it’s crust-free, fat-free, gluten-free, or vegan, but if they do wonder what’s left after so much is left out, tell them “Flavor, pure, delicious flavor!”
1 1/2 cups soymilk
1 tbsp. Ener-G egg replacer*
1/4 cup water*
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pureed or mashed cooked pumpkin (or cushaw or winter squash)
1/2 cup rice flour (or flour of your choice–not whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. (I used a Pyrex pan, and it came out with no sticking.) A deep dish is recommended because this pie will rise a lot during cooking but will fall back down as it cools. Put the first five ingredients in the blender, and blend well. Add the pumpkin, and puree. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides a couple of times to make sure everything is thoroughly blended. Pour into a pie pan and bake for about 60 minutes. The top and edges should be brown, but the edges should not be over-done. (Since this is a custardy pie, using the standard toothpick or knife test does not work; it will remain somewhat moist in the center, but it shouldn’t be uncooked.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the counter. For best results, refrigerate until chilled before eating. *If you don’t have Ener-G egg replacer, you can omit it and the 1/4 cup water and use any other replacement for two eggs. Of course, if you’re not vegan, you could use two eggs, but why not give the vegan version a chance? Recipe via the fabulous FatFreeVegan.com
Want the with gluten/ more classic version? Here you go darlings:
Pumpkin Pie
2 cups peeled and cooked pumpkin (or other orange fleshed squash)
3/4 cup coconut milk (not lite)
1/2 – 3/4 cup filtered water (see how it is with the lesser amount)
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup silken tofu
1 tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. powdered ginger (or 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger root)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. sea salt
To cook pumpkin, wash outside, slice in half, scoop out seeds, and place flesh-side down on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven, pre-heated to 375oF for about 45 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool until you can handle it comfortably, then scoop flesh out from the skin. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and whisk until smooth. Combine this mixture, along with the rest of the coconut milk, water, tofu, maple syrup, all the spices, and salt in a blender until smooth. Add pumpkin and blend a bit more – just until there are not large chunks of pumpkin. Be careful not to run the blender too long or the pumpkin will loose all texture and resemble baby food. Pour into a pie crust or a lightly oiled baking dish and bake at 350oF for 45 minutes or so (it should be somewhat firm in the middle). Serve with organic whipped (vegan soy) cream or cashew cream (see below), if desired.
Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour (or 1 1/4 cups light spelt and 1/4 cup oatbran)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup sunflower oil
up to 1 tbsp. maple syrup (optional)
1-2 tbsp. cold non-dairy milk or ice water
In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and cinnamon if using. Add oil, maple syrup (if desired) and soymilk or water as needed to form a ball of dough. Roll out onto a clean, floured surface and fit into a 9″ pie plate. Trim edges. Bake at 350oF for 10 minutes, until dry in the centre, but not browning at the edges.
Cashew Cream
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water to cover for 4 hours
3/4 – 1 cup filtered water
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
a pinch sea salt
Drain soaking water off cashews. In a blender, whirl up all ingredients (starting with the smaller amount of water) until smooth. Add extra water if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes enough for a couple pies, so you may want to freeze half of it, or make more dessert. Recipe via domesticaffair.com.