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Blintzes *
Tea Cookies *
Tofu Pies
Tofu Pies
Without the shell these work as puddings. Without the cornstarch they make a great 'ice cream' in an ice cream maker. Sets up harder than traditional ice creams because there is no salt, so put in the fridge a few hours before serving. The chocolate is incredible! You will never go back to store bought.
All are lactose free, cholesterol free, and vegan (assuming the shell, if used, is also).
Hint: don't tell people they have tofu in them until after they taste them.
All recipes use Mori-Nu Extra Firm silken tofu as the base. If you can't find the extra firm, you can substitute the firm, BUT, anything but silken tofu will not blend well enough for a perfect pie. Eating tofu has a texture to it when blended that does not do well in pies. Mori-Nu can sometimes be found in 'gringo' stores, but exists in nearly every Asian market at much cheaper prices.
Vegan Pie Shell:
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid (slightly above room temperature, okay to microwave a short time)
add 1/4 cup water and wisk until uniform.
at this stage it would probably help to cool down until it just starts to get solid, but not rock hard.
add 1 1/2 cups of white whole wheat flour. start by stirring in slowly and then finally knead the last bit.
add more flour if you intend to use a roller or just press fit into an oiled pie shell if you don't use a roller.
bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes before adding the filling (can be stored at this point for later use).
This gives it some firmness so it will hold up better to the filling. The subtle coconut flavor goes well with all the recipes below.
Banana
Start with 2 ripe mashed bananas
2 tablespoons corn starch
enough soymilk to take above to 1 1/2 cups
1 mori-nu extra firm tofu. 1/2022: add a tsp of vanilla and a dash of fresh ground nutmeg
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, poor into pie shell. cover with a third, not so ripe, banana, sliced
Bake at 350F for 45 minutes
Chocolate
1 cup soy milk [plain or vanilla]
1 mori-nu extra firm tofu
1 tsp intant coffee [optional]
Blend until smooth.
In a separate bowl:
1 cup of loose cocoa [Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger pure cocoa powder][Nestle's and Hershey's will NOT be the same.] to
1 cup of white sugar
Stir with wisk until all the lumps of cocoa are out. [or sift through a strainer]
Now add the soymilk/tofu mix to the cocoa/sugar.
Wisk carefully to get ALL the dry lumps out.
Will start to thicken and noticeably darken.
Do not be alarmed.
Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Surface cracks will start to form. Overcooking will result in a hard pie.
Some cooking continues while cooling.
NOTE: no cornstarch, the cocoa provides all the binding you will need.
After the pie is cool, add a layer of raspberry jam, marmalade, bananas or whipped cream before serving.
This pie is not for the faint of heart, but for true chocolate lovers and addicts.
If you like milk chocolate try using Nestles/Hersheys cocoa instead. Far less intense.
Lemon
using a microplane, grate the zest from five Meyer's lemons, then juice the same to make one cup of zest and juice (use more or less lemons)
1 cup white sugar
4 level tablespoons of cornstarch
1 mori-nu extra firm tofu
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Into pie shell and bake at 350F 50 minutes (top will be browned in areas and center will not be depressed)
Variations: you can add some grated ginger for a spicier version.
The Arabian Spice Cookie recipe makes an interesting pie shell.
Mango
1 mori-nu extra firm tofu
1/2 can mango pulp [about 1 1/2 cups pulp][found in East Indian markets and sometimes Asian markets]
1 tablespoon orange juice [or lemon if more tart is preferred][optional]
2 tablespoons cornstarch [more for a firmer pie]
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, poor into pie shell and bake at 350F for 45-60 min.
Surface will start to brown when done. The end result should be soft and creamy, but not runny.
can substitute 1 1/2 cups of ANY fruit pulp for the mango
Pumpkin
1 mori-nu extra firm tofu
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves or allspice
2 tbsp cornstarch mixed in 2 tbsp water
1/2 can pumpkin [the large Libby's can of pumpkin, not the CostCo size][Plain pumpkin, nothing but pumpkin]
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth, poor into pie shell and bake at 350F for 50 min.
Yam
1 1/2 cups cooked mashed yams or sweet potatoes
[cut two medium sized fresh yams into small squares and microwave covered for six minutes, then mash]
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 mori-nu extra firm tofu
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Into pie shell and bake at 350F 45 minutes