Category Archives:  Pies

Bourbon Laced Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Crumble Topping

There are few things I look forward to each year more than the month of November. With its arrival comes two of my most favorite days meant especially for eating great food and celebrating: my birthday and Thanksgiving.

I generally get a full week to stuff myself by extending the two occasions–which are usually only separated by a few days– into one massive foodfest. This Sunday, I will be celebrating my 30th year of life… and I am pretty darned thrilled about it. I’m usually a fan of birthdays, but I’m not one to want to go “all out”. But, this year is extra special for me as I have been looking forward to turning 30 since I was about 10 years old. I always thought I would have my shit pretty much together by then and would officially be an adult. Funny how your perspective on age can change when 30 smacks you right in the face. It’s not so far away anymore! Plus, I’m pretty sure I’ve officially been an adult for a while now–for a couple of years, anyways. And, as far as having everything together… ehh, I may have a little more work to do, but I’m not complaining. Life is very good and I feel super lucky to be living it. I have a great job I adore, a loving family, and amazing friends. I also have loyal readers like you that make me love what I do every single day that much more. And for all that I have, I am extra grateful.

I am starting my birthday/Thanksgiving bonanza tonight with this pumpkin pie. Bourbon makes it all the better, and I highly recommend serving it with a big dollop of sweetened whipped coconut cream. I’ll be toasting myself into the next decade of my life this evening with a hot mug of nog and a cold slice of pie.

Cheers!

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Apple Pie Cheesecake

Fall is officially here. And with the coming of Fall, also comes an abundance of apples and pumpkins. Even though I loathe the impending cold temperatures, I relish the slight chill of autumn weather and the plethora of comfort foods that accompany it. Especially comfort food that include apples–whether it be a nice mug of cider (preferably the adult versions) or a hefty slice of cheesecake with the addictive flavor of apple pie strewn throughout. Apples are a staple in my house come the end of September… and they remain there all the way until December.

I used honeycrisp in this cheesecake only because my default baking apple, the granny smith, is nowhere to be found in any grocery store or market I’ve perused in Philly. Is this a problem in other parts of the world… or are our friendly grocery-teers mocking me and my east coast relocation?

Anyways, even with honeycrisps–which I truly hate to bake with, as they are a superior snacking apple straight to the core–this cheesecake takes apple pie to a whole new level. Or maybe this apple pie takes cheesecake to a whole new level? Whichever it is, be sure to chill this dessert in the fridge for at least 24 hours after baking for maximum enjoyment.

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Apple, Pear and Onion Tarte Salée

This savory tart is hearty enough to call a pie and delicious enough to star as a fantastic main course. I’ve always loved the combination of apples, onions and cheeze and decided to incorporate all three in this special entrée. The addition of unripened Bartlett pears gives it an extra touch of sweetness and unexpected flavor.

Inspired by my ongoing obsession with French everything, this tart is excellent for impressing house guests, or even just your favorite people who sit alongside you at the dinner table.

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White Chocolate, Raspberry & Sage Tart

Homemade white chocolate, berries from the backyard, and fresh sage from the garden all add up to a ridiculously easy, yet sophisticated, tart.

As I was making this tart (at this point, I had only finished baking the crust) my husband kept begging me to let him try it. So, by the time the whole thing was said and done and photos had been shot, he managed to eat HALF of said tart in about 10 minutes. And he’s not even a white chocolate fanatic like moi. My son and I were equally impressed with how much he liked this recipe; but, given its delectable and slightly minty flavor from the sage, neither of us were surprised. This is a really great tart.

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Raspberry Pecan Tart

This humble little dessert turned out to be quite a big hit with my family. There’s just something about toasted pecans and tangy raspberry jam that make for a delectable combo. My husband likened it to an extremely delicious (and much more appealing) nutra-grain bar. Yeah, I can get behind that.

It’s easy to toss together, and even easier to eat much more than intended. This is some addictive stuff; serve with caution.

By the way, there are some incredible double milled GF flours available from Authentic Foods. I was first introduced to the ‘superfine brown rice flour’ by the wonderful Julie Hasson (accompanied by raving reviews of the stuff by miss Kittee). But you guys, guess what? The fine folks at Authentic Foods also make a superfine sorghum flour (oh yes, my dreams have come true!)… and it’s the bees knees. For serious. I have been using it in everything lately, and I really enjoyed the results when I used it in this tart. I highly recommend trying it out if you’re up for a superfine splurge. Otherwise, just stick to regular sorghum flour for this recipe–it won’t hurt anything.

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Banana Cream Pie

This recipe is a combination of this cheesecake I made a while back + an insatiable craving I’ve been having lately for some banana cream pie.

It is not at all what I remember my mother’s banana cream pie to taste like (I’m pretty sure she included shredded coconut and jello pudding in her version), but it certainly hit the spot. With cashew cream, walnuts, bananas and almonds… it has all the fixins for a proper pie.

Did I mention it practically makes itself?

Okay, it definitely gets a little help from a food processor. Still, it is very easy to make if you have one of those aforementioned fancy gadgets, and a little extra time to spare.

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Spiced Apple Galette

Autumn is officially on its way, and with it comes chills in the air, vibrant colors in the trees, great camping weather, the perfect excuse to overuse nutmeg in everything, and of course, plenty of apples. Because of these things (and Halloween!), Autumn is without a doubt the season I most look forward to. I like to pretend that Summer is my favorite (and I love to gripe about being cold)… but I cannot deny the excitement I feel when I notice the leaves begin to fall. I have already busted out my corduroys…

From Labor Day to Thanksgiving, I like to take advantage of the glorious bounty that Autumn brings. Brace yourself folks, I’m about to stretch this season out as long as I possibly can. Starting now.

Hope you all like apples, pumpkins, black cats, and mulling spices… because it may get a little ridiculous around here.

Let’s kick off this early tribute to Fall with a little gluten-free galette, shall we? Truly a great way to say “bye bye” to summer and “how do you do?” to Autumn-like comfort food.

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Green Tomato & Onion Turnovers

I seems like ages ago when my husband and I tilled up a large area of grass in our backyard and transplanted our tiny seedlings into a barren patch of dirt.  We tended to each little plant with love and waited all summer long to reap the fruits of our labor. Now, our garden is brimming with peppers, okra, cabbage, kale, cucumbers, herbs, and tomatoes.

Green tomatoes, that is. They are taking their sweet time in ripening; and, although I love nothing more than a ripe garden fresh tomato- a bit of impatience culinary nerve came over me.

In all the years I have grown tomatoes, I had never once considered eating the fruit before it ripened.  So early yesterday morning, I decided I should create something delicious with my still green and crunchy tomatoes.

I knew I wanted to try a more unorthodox approach than simply frying them up, so I created these delicious turnovers.

Let me just state that I am extremely impressed with these things. In fact, my husband and I were both so enamored with the taste and texture, that we are already planning on making them again. Soon.

Like, maybe tonight.

The thinly sliced tomatoes and onions melded with the nutritional yeast and cumin inside the crispy pocket to create a treat that smells absolutely wonderful while baking in the oven.

And, they tasted so damned good.

Try them… if you’ve never eaten green tomatoes, this is a great intro recipe. Other fillings can be added or subbed in for the ingredients listed, but I really love the flavor of this exact recipe. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Now I wonder if my tomatoes will last long enough to ripen to red?  At this point, I couldn’t care less.

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Blackberry Cobbler

Holy yummy, people… have I got a recipe for you!

It’s not particularly healthy… but it’s a cobbler.  And, it’s delicious!

If I didn’t have to share, I would love to eat this whole thing myself.  In fact, it is very rare when a creation of mine does not survive past its photo shoot.  But, I had to call this one short due to my lack of self restraint.

Many people have a different idea of what a cobbler should taste like. Just for the record, this one has a coffecake-biscuity like topping, and the berries on the bottom definitely resemble a deliciously sticky pie filling.  And, of course, there’s crumble topping on top of the topping. So, it’s less like a “buckle”, and more like a “grunt”, but most perfectly described as just “cobbler”.

Are you all still with me? :)

Fruity and wonderful, please enjoy this recipe for gluten free (but certainly not sugar or fat free!) blackberry cobbler.

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Chocolate Cashew Ice Cream Pie

triple layered frozen pie

Okay, this pie does not actually contain ice cream.  But, when the creamy mousse and cashew cream layers are frozen, they sure could pass for ice cream.  It is rich with flavor and kind of  indulgent as far as ingredients go.  But, Valentine’s day is coming up, right?  So why not splurge on yourself… or a loved one.  This dreamy treat  is full of chocolate, dates, almond flour, cashews… and there’s some tofu in there too.

The freezing process is a little time consuming, but the prep couldn’t be easier.  It mainly involves using a just food processor and a spatula.  The three layers frozen together sort of  resemble an “ice-cream cake” in taste and texture.  Yet, unlike a certain non-vegan name brand ice cream cake that I used to go crazy over- this one’s full of good stuff.   So,  refusing a second slice seems almost silly. :)

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