Apricot Pie

 

 We had our first crop of delicious apricots grown right in our own yard...last year. Yes, we had so many apricots that I threw them into freezer bags and popped them right into a deep freeze, never to think about them again until today. 
Just recently while on a trip in Croatia, I had ventured into an open air coffee shop in Dubrovnik for a coffee. I was so hungry, I decided that I'd have to order a croissant.  To my delight, the first bite sent shivers down my spine, so much that it was almost life changing!  It was heavenly, and had just enough sweet yet sour apricot that I thought of nothing much that day other than that amazing croissant!  I didn't even realize there were apricot croissant! I honestly don't know what it was about it that sparked something inside me except that it was freshly made. When I got home from my trip, I bought some vegan croissant dough and thawed some apricots immediately.  (Some day I'll try and make my own croissant dough but today wasn't the day. In fact, today, I even had a frozen pie crust in the freezer. My lucky day!)   After I made the apricot mixture for my croissants, I had so much extra and still had apricots that I dug out the frozen pie crust and made a super quick and easy pie.  It was so good that three of us ate it all, in about a two hour time frame!  Yes, it was that good and oh that delicious. 
I have no shame in admitting it either.  I ate, and ate and ate...
and then I ate some more!

Apricot Pie
~serves 3-10 ( If you love it as much as I did, make another pie for guests!)
 (This pie is best with frozen apricots or very ripe apricots too.)

4 cups Apricots, pitted and halved and thawed if frozen
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp water
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 pie crusts
sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, liquefy 1 1/2 cups of apricots.  Put into a pot on stove and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add sugar and cinnamon.  Stir until mixed.  Put cornstarch into a little bowl, add the 1/2 tsp water and stir well until combined.  Add cornstarch mixture to the apricot mixture and turn heat up to med/ high heat while stirring.  Stir until the mixture starts to thicken (about 2 minutes) and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pour half of the thickened mixture into pie crust.  Add the halved apricots and pour the rest of the thickened  mixture over the halves. 

 

Add the top crust and bake for about 40-45 minutes until bubbly and nice and browned.  Remove pie, sprinkle top with a light layer of sugar and broil for a few minutes until it starts to caramelize. (Watch this step, don't leave the pie.  Keep the door cracked open slightly and turn if necessary.) If you have a torch, you can do it that way instead of broiling.  Cool pie on counter for about 35 minutes to an hour.  It should still be slightly warm to serve.

 

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*This recipe and the others on my site are all my creations, made by me, in my home and photographed by me.  Please make them, enjoy them and share them but when you do, please give credit where credit is due.  My Delicious Vegan Diary Thanks You! And please, let me know how you like it.

Blessings~

My trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia

 

Some of the best tasting fruit from markets on the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia

 

Coconut Creme Brulee Pie

Happy Almost Valentine's Day.  As I was wondering what I'd be making this Valentine's Day for my sweet heart, I ran through many ideas in my head.  I was thinking Brownies, cakes, candies and many other things however sometimes someone mentions one little thing and an idea like a true light bulb clicks on in your head.  Since my hubby and I have convinced our friend that coconut milk is the only way to have cereal now, I suddenly had a craving for pie...coconut cream pie.  And since Creme Brulee is one of my old time favorite desserts, I decided to marry the two (how appropriate) for Valentine's Day to create a true marriage made in Heaven. 

I think it worked well.  Considering the hubby, our friend and everyone else now calls this the 2 slice pie, because one slice just isn't good enough, I guess that means it's not only a success...but delicious!

One bite and the caramelized flavor of the brulee top comes shining through to make this pie go from great to gourmet.  Try it brulee'd or not...

It's up to you. And please, once you've had it...share it.  I'm all giddy on the inside waiting for you to try a piece...really!

Coconut Creme Brulee

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (the higher quality it is, the better it is)

1 12 oz pack Lite firm tofu, drained

2 Tbs vegan butter

1 Tbs Vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 Vegan graham cracker Pie shell

Brulee'd Top:

You'll need a mini blow torch and granulated sugar

In a Food processor, mix until smooth, sugar, cornstarch, salt and tofu.   Pour into a sauce pan and add coconut milk, and vegan butter. Cook on Medium heat, stirring with a whisk for 6-8 minutes until thick.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and shredded coconut and stir. 

 Cover pan with plastic wrap, pressing down until the wrap is laying on the top of the custard. (This will keep it from getting hard on top.) Let it cool completely.

 Transfer to a pie crust once cooled and smooth out top.  Refrigerate covered for about 2 hours.   When ready to eat, remove extra moisture from the top of pie gently with a paper towel (only if there is moisture) and sprinkle with sugar, covering with a light coat.  With a Mini Torch, caramelize the sugar.  Serve...Enjoy...enter Heaven!  ( Almost)

I had a little extra to make these Two romantic coconut pie shots for hubby and I.  I sprinkled crushed cookie crumbs into the bottom of two shot glasses, spooned in mixture, smoothed out the top and added a cute little candy heart to adorn the top.

 Happy Valentine's Day to Me...and the Hub!

Peaches and Creme Hand Pies

Let's talk breakfast, better yet, desserts.  Well these little gems can be either or.  For these fabulous tasty treats, and boy oh boy do I mean tasty, I'll be using Duncan Hines new Frosting creations Peaches and Creme packet and their Frosting Starter.  Did you know there are quite a few vegan Duncan Hines products?  Well, to my delight, there are a lot of them.   So let's get started on this yummy meal that's sure to please even your most picky eaters.

Peaches and Creme Hand Pies
Ingredients~
1 packet of Duncan Hines® Frosting Creations™ Peaches and Creme Flavor Mix  and 1 can of Frosting Creations™ Frosting Starter
8 oz Vegan gourmet cream cheese
1 can Duncan Hines/ Comstock Peach pie filling
1 tbs sugar
1 can refrigerated canned biscuits
flour for dusting

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix vegan cream cheese, sugar and 3/4 of the Peaches and Creme packet (about 3/4 tsp) in a bowl. 

Set the reserved peaches and cream packet aside (about 1/4 tsp) in another small bowl for later.
Dust a small area with flour.  Roll out each biscuit into a flat round.  Add 1/2 tsp of cream cheese mixture and add 1/2 tsp of Peach pie filling on top.

Get a small bowl with a little bit of water, dip your finger and lightly wet one half of the inside edge of the biscuit.  Fold the biscuit over and seal the edge with pressing down gently with a fork.

Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.
While cooling, take the bowl with the reserved Duncan Hines® Frosting Creations™ Peaches and Creme Flavor Mix  and add 4 Tbs of a can of Frosting Creations™ Frosting Starter and mix well.  Add this mixture to a baggy, cut the tip, and drizzle onto the baked hand pies.

  Now this final tip is a must...Enjoy, enjoy...enjoy!  And I know you will!

*note~ refrigerate additional unused can of Frosting Creations™ Frosting Starter  for another use at a later time.