by Sarah Anne
I feel kind of lucky, living up here in the great expanse known as Canada, for many reasons. Currently, the most appropriate reason is that I celebrate Thanksgiving TWICE. Canadian Thanksgiving is in October, and much to my husband's joy, I usually throw a second one in there as soon as I see my American friends and family getting ready for it. I am completely unable to resist the call of stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Even the thought of those flavours has me salivating as we speak.
I tried to 'scale it back' this year for both events, since in the past I've made three appetizers and a whole expanse of vegetables, carbs and protein...for two people. Last week I was proud of myself, I narrowed it down to stuffing, potatoes, a vegetable, gravy, and a protein. And dessert. Oh boy dessert. Have you all had enough of it yet or are you still with me?
I have made versions of this pie before and have always been a fan, but something about the crust from this recipe from Alissa over at Girl Makes Food caught my eye. Coconut, oats, coconut oil and real maple syrup? Sounds delicious. The filling was just as impressive with only three ingredients: silken tofu, dark chocolate and maple syrup. I admit that I added a little espresso powder to it while I blended, and a little vanilla extract just to give it a bit more interesting flavour, and it worked out beautifully. .
Alissa's photos are far nicer than mine, but they didn't come out too shabby! I would recommend being gentle when toasting the crust as I think mine got a bit too hard, and be sure to oil your pie pan. Mine stuck like crazy but, rest assured, we persevered.
The best accoutrement, however, was the generous helping of vanilla whipped coconut cream that we dolloped on top of each slice. There are a ton of recipes out there for coconut whipped cream, but as I didn't have the patience to actually follow one to a T, I just kind of winged it. Low and behold it worked!
Want to risk it like me? Try this: Chill a can of full fat (FULL FAT people! Don't do low-fat, please. I'll cry and it won't work.) coconut milk overnight and when you're ready, without tipping it, open the can and scoop out the thick cream that has settled on top. Toss it in a chilled bowl, or the bowl of your mixer and whip away until thick. I added a bit of maple syrup, one tablespoon at a time, and a dash of vanilla powder. I'm sure a tiny bit of vanilla extract would work as well. Of course you could always try Alissa's recipe, or Angela's, or Ashley's - alliteration much, Sarah? The whipped cream was delicious, light and lasted in the fridge for the most part until our pie was finished, which didn't take long if you were wondering!
I also recommend using a good quality dark chocolate, and be sure that the tofu is very smooth before adding the melted chocolate to it. Truly folks, I'd challenge anyone that said they 'hated tofu', you know who they are, to try this and tell you they hated it. It came together in a snap, and we ate it just as quickly, with little guilt. The ingredients are great and you don't have to worry about feeding your kids artificial sugars or too much of the real thing. The whole pie has a few tablespoons of maple syrup total, yet it is still sweet and rich without being TOO much of a good thing.
Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and can increase important blood flow to the heart and brain. It also has high concentrations of magnesium, iron, copper and potassium. The copper, magnesium and potassium can help protect against cardiovascular ailments while the iron can help prevent anemia. Coconut milk is a great option for those that cannot tolerate, or do not choose to consume dairy. It is also potentially good for the immune system thanks to its high lauric acid content, not to mention it has healthy fats that can boost metabolism. While widely contested, I do think that the tofu can be considered a healthy ingredient as well. It's a source of iron, calcium and manganese and has been shown to help reduce cholesterol. Not to mention, it's a source of protein! See? Dessert CAN be good for you!
Do you have any desserts that you feel are 'lightened up' or aren't quite a bomb of sugar and butter? I love both of those things, but sometimes it makes it a bit easier to enjoy if I know it won't tank all of my hard work! Do you worry about these things? Or just go for it when it comes to dessert? Let me know if you try this and what you think!
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