So, this isn't the healthiest thing on the face of the planet, b/c of the quantity of sugar, but it beats the heck out of a box or store bought dessert...and hey, it was for J's birthday! Awesome, awesome, awesome dessert! If you don't like the stringy texture of coconut, you can always omit from the custard. This recipe is completely starch free! Including the crust...so for those of you with Gluten allergies, you are in luck! Eat your heart-out! ;) For those with dairy issues, I hear you can use coconut cream in place of cream, and coconut milk in place of the milk....and you can always use coconut oil instead of butter! If anyone does the dairy substitutes please let me know how they turn out! ;)
1 3/4 cup heavy cream (preferably from grass-fed cows, and definitely not ultra-pasteurized!)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sweetened coconut shreds
2 egg yolks (or 1/4 cup flour or arrowroot to thicken)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat the milk, cream, vanilla and coconut until it temps at 150. In a separate bowl combine the yolks, eggs, and sugar. Beat until combined. Make sure your cream mixture is still near 150 degrees. Add the cream mixture by 1/3 of a cup to the egg mixture stirring the whole time. Place all liquid back in the pot. Place on medium-high heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches about 158 degrees...10 minutes or so. When mixture has thickened remove from the pot and place in a bowl. Stir in the 1/4 cup of butter until melted, and place the whole bowl in an ice bath, stirring occasionally until cooled.
When mostly cooled, place in the refrigerator.
For the Crust
2 1/4 cups finely grated coconut
1/2 succanant
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1 egg
place the coconut, sugar, melted butter and egg all in a bowl. Stir until combined. Press into a 9-9.5 inch pie crust. Pre-heat the oven and bake for 20 minutes on 350 or until edges are slightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Fill the crust with the custard and top with homemade whipping cream.
Whipping cream:
1/2 pint of cream
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Place the syrup and cream in a "frozen" mixing bowl and beat until stiff peeks form.
Coconut Cream Pie with Crust and Whipped Topping (Gluten-Free)
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Labels:
Desserts: Cakes and Pies,
MI: Coconut
Thickening Agents
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It is J's birthday today! In an effort to make him a delicious "cake" like substance to celebrate I resorted to one of his favorite pies! For those of you who don't know, J doesn't much care for cake, and much prefers pie. Pumpkin is his favorite, but Pumpkins aren't so much in season right now. Alas we found ourselves in the kitchen looking for a substitute for his favorite pie, that He, N and I could all enjoy together!
Coconut cream pie it was! J and I love it! The only problem was I wanted Noah to be able to have it. The recipe I had mad previously had corn starch or flour, or arrowroot in it, all of which, N can't have. So, I began a hunt for another thickening agent! I am happy to say, I found one that worked, how do I know it worked? The pie "sat" up!
So, I have discovered that Egg Yolks are a wonderful thickener for "custard" like substances or sauces, when you would usually have to use a starch in some variety. The trick is determining the amount of egg YOLK required. I emphasis Yolk, because the yolk is the thickener, and too much of an egg white in a recipe can really throw off the texture and flavor.
So, what do you do? In general for sauces or custards, omit up to 1/3 cup starch with 2 egg yolks. 1/3 of a cup b/c all starchs are used in different quantities. If a recipe only call for 2 Tbsp or less of starch, add one egg yolk.
The trick is in cooking. For "starch" thickeners it generally doesn't matter if the mixture comes to a ferocious boil, as long as it doesn't burn to the bottom, but when you are dealing with egg binders it does! You need to pay careful attention to the temperature. Don't allow your mixture to reach higher than 158 degrees or the egg separates. It is also important to slowly bring the egg up to temperature. Just like you premix your starch with cold water until dissolved prior to add to a hot mixture, you need to fully beat your egg yolks and than slowly add in a "warm" mixture 1/3 of a cup at a time to avoid "cooking" the yolk.
The mixture will thicken in several minutes at a temperature of 158 with constant stirring. Good luck and happy "starch free" foods! :)
Coconut cream pie it was! J and I love it! The only problem was I wanted Noah to be able to have it. The recipe I had mad previously had corn starch or flour, or arrowroot in it, all of which, N can't have. So, I began a hunt for another thickening agent! I am happy to say, I found one that worked, how do I know it worked? The pie "sat" up!
So, I have discovered that Egg Yolks are a wonderful thickener for "custard" like substances or sauces, when you would usually have to use a starch in some variety. The trick is determining the amount of egg YOLK required. I emphasis Yolk, because the yolk is the thickener, and too much of an egg white in a recipe can really throw off the texture and flavor.
So, what do you do? In general for sauces or custards, omit up to 1/3 cup starch with 2 egg yolks. 1/3 of a cup b/c all starchs are used in different quantities. If a recipe only call for 2 Tbsp or less of starch, add one egg yolk.
The trick is in cooking. For "starch" thickeners it generally doesn't matter if the mixture comes to a ferocious boil, as long as it doesn't burn to the bottom, but when you are dealing with egg binders it does! You need to pay careful attention to the temperature. Don't allow your mixture to reach higher than 158 degrees or the egg separates. It is also important to slowly bring the egg up to temperature. Just like you premix your starch with cold water until dissolved prior to add to a hot mixture, you need to fully beat your egg yolks and than slowly add in a "warm" mixture 1/3 of a cup at a time to avoid "cooking" the yolk.
The mixture will thicken in several minutes at a temperature of 158 with constant stirring. Good luck and happy "starch free" foods! :)
Carrot Parsnip Puree
I apologize to those of you who feel like I am constantly making things with parsnip or carrots. The truth is that this time of year, root veggies are the easiest and cheapest for us to get our hands on...as far as organics are concerned. Not to mention the fact that N absolutely loves both! Why not make a dish your toddler loves...it means that dinner will be oh so much smoother!
I was really craving something like a mashed potato, and knew squash just wasn't going to cut it! Since N can't have potatoes we feel bad serving ourselves up some of that yummy goodness and leaving him without...so I have tried to find tasty alternative to keep us all satisfied.
I opened the fridge and what do you know, I have parsnips and carrots...why not try to mash them??? :) Here is what I did...N absolutely loved this recipe and now refers to it as Pumpkin pie...which in the world of my 2 year old toddler is the best complete any chef could get! J and I also really enjoyed this recipe. We had this with roasted season salt chicken, garlic sauteed spinach, and millet biscuits.
2-4 Tbsp Unsalted butter
4 medium parsnips Peeled (optional) and chopped
1 bunch (about 6 or 7 carrots) peeled (optional) chopped finely
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic or 1/2 clove elephant garlic, diced.
2Tbsp-1/4 cup heavy cream
Now I have done this recipe several times. A couple with peeled parsnips and carrots and a couple without the peeling. The main difference is with the parsnips...there is a much stronger parsnip flavor if you leave the skins on. That isn't a problem for our family, but if this is your first introduction I would peel. Lately the organic parsnips at the store have been really fine...then I wouldn't waste your time...there is nothing left after you get done peeling them!
Okay, so place your onions, butter, and garlic in a heavy bottomed 3-4 quart pan or pot. Sautee until fragrant. Add in the parsnips and carrots. Stir until combined and then cover. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Check on the mix every 5 minutes or so to make sure you aren't burning the bottom. If your lid doesn't fit tightly, than consider adding 1-2 Tbsp of water to help the veggies cook. I use a 3 Quart Enameled Dutch oven and it works really well with no added water.
When the veggies are tender remove the lid and let any excess moisture burn off. Remove form the heat and add the heavy cream. Puree with either your hand-held blender or a normal blender or food processor. Yummy!!
Dairy Allergy note: IF you can't have dairy, omit heavy cream at the end and use a little chicken broth, and use coconut oil for the saute instead of butter. This also works well...this is how we ate it when J was on the Candida diet!
I was really craving something like a mashed potato, and knew squash just wasn't going to cut it! Since N can't have potatoes we feel bad serving ourselves up some of that yummy goodness and leaving him without...so I have tried to find tasty alternative to keep us all satisfied.
I opened the fridge and what do you know, I have parsnips and carrots...why not try to mash them??? :) Here is what I did...N absolutely loved this recipe and now refers to it as Pumpkin pie...which in the world of my 2 year old toddler is the best complete any chef could get! J and I also really enjoyed this recipe. We had this with roasted season salt chicken, garlic sauteed spinach, and millet biscuits.
2-4 Tbsp Unsalted butter
4 medium parsnips Peeled (optional) and chopped
1 bunch (about 6 or 7 carrots) peeled (optional) chopped finely
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic or 1/2 clove elephant garlic, diced.
2Tbsp-1/4 cup heavy cream
Now I have done this recipe several times. A couple with peeled parsnips and carrots and a couple without the peeling. The main difference is with the parsnips...there is a much stronger parsnip flavor if you leave the skins on. That isn't a problem for our family, but if this is your first introduction I would peel. Lately the organic parsnips at the store have been really fine...then I wouldn't waste your time...there is nothing left after you get done peeling them!
Okay, so place your onions, butter, and garlic in a heavy bottomed 3-4 quart pan or pot. Sautee until fragrant. Add in the parsnips and carrots. Stir until combined and then cover. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Check on the mix every 5 minutes or so to make sure you aren't burning the bottom. If your lid doesn't fit tightly, than consider adding 1-2 Tbsp of water to help the veggies cook. I use a 3 Quart Enameled Dutch oven and it works really well with no added water.
When the veggies are tender remove the lid and let any excess moisture burn off. Remove form the heat and add the heavy cream. Puree with either your hand-held blender or a normal blender or food processor. Yummy!!
Dairy Allergy note: IF you can't have dairy, omit heavy cream at the end and use a little chicken broth, and use coconut oil for the saute instead of butter. This also works well...this is how we ate it when J was on the Candida diet!
Homemade Season Salt
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Labels:
Condiments and Jams/Preserves
I have given up on finding a "healthy" season salt to purchase at the store. Most contain refined sugars, and filler that either contain corn or gluten. I have been mixing up this recipe for a little while now, and we don't miss the store bought variety at all! This seasoned salt is very easy to make...
½ cup salt
¼ cup succanant
¼ Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp Garlic powder
2 Tbsp Onion powder
2 Tbsp Turmeric
Place all ingredients in a 1 quart ball jar, screw on the lid and shake well. Stores well in the jar, or you can transfer to a "spice" jar with a shake top. This is my primary spice blend in my Chicken pot pie or chicken and biscuits recipe.
½ cup salt
¼ cup succanant
¼ Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp Garlic powder
2 Tbsp Onion powder
2 Tbsp Turmeric
Place all ingredients in a 1 quart ball jar, screw on the lid and shake well. Stores well in the jar, or you can transfer to a "spice" jar with a shake top. This is my primary spice blend in my Chicken pot pie or chicken and biscuits recipe.
Grinding Grains at Home
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So I have always heard, that you can easily grind grains at home using a food processor. I have always used my blender and achieved satisfactory results...today, I decided to give my food processor a "try-out" as a grinder. Mostly because I was feeling bad for my "over-worked" blender this week!
Before I start the explanation of this process I will tell you the flavor of a home ground grain is so far superior to that of the store bought variety. I haven't noticed quite some much with wheat, but any alternative grain, to me, is almost unpalatable if purchased in the flour form! I can't even get store purchased millet flour near my face without feeling queasy. The smell and taste are just off! There are a million things that could be contributing to it...but most likely I am smelling and tasting the rancidness. Take it from me. Take the 20 minutes and grind it yourself...the results are definitely worth it!
So, I filled up my most favorite food processor with about 2 cups of millet flour. I let it run for 15 minutes and then "checked" the millet for texture. I wasn't so thrilled. It was still exceptionally coarse and very warm...moisture was building up in the grain. I let it rest for about 30 minutes and the grain cooled down. I ran it for another 15 minutes, and the grain was still very course...and hot...
After that. I transferred it to my blender to continue the process. It finished up in the blender in just a couple of minutes.
Moral of the story. The blender does about 2 cups millet in 20-30 minutes...and the food processor was at 30 and not even close to being done. For homemade flour...I would highly recommend the blender!
Just as an fyi. I put my blender on liquefy to start, and then lower the speed to "mix" or puree and stir the grain through the opening at the top to prevent it from climbing up the sides. (I remove the little plastic circle from the top and stick the stirring spoon in, obviously, you are just shifting the top layer of flour, the spoon should never be close to the middle or the bottom of the blender...need I say more.)
Good luck grinding your own flour. Naturally, if you are baking lots or using lots of alternative grains, which get quite costly to purchase in flour form, a grinder will probably be a great investment..but until then...use the blender!
After you have "blended" your grain into flour, store in an airtight container in the refriderator...and preferably away from light. It will keep for a week or two. If the flavor starts to resemble the store purchased flour...you know it is time to blend up some more! (Thank you LAP for your question!)
Before I start the explanation of this process I will tell you the flavor of a home ground grain is so far superior to that of the store bought variety. I haven't noticed quite some much with wheat, but any alternative grain, to me, is almost unpalatable if purchased in the flour form! I can't even get store purchased millet flour near my face without feeling queasy. The smell and taste are just off! There are a million things that could be contributing to it...but most likely I am smelling and tasting the rancidness. Take it from me. Take the 20 minutes and grind it yourself...the results are definitely worth it!
So, I filled up my most favorite food processor with about 2 cups of millet flour. I let it run for 15 minutes and then "checked" the millet for texture. I wasn't so thrilled. It was still exceptionally coarse and very warm...moisture was building up in the grain. I let it rest for about 30 minutes and the grain cooled down. I ran it for another 15 minutes, and the grain was still very course...and hot...
After that. I transferred it to my blender to continue the process. It finished up in the blender in just a couple of minutes.
Moral of the story. The blender does about 2 cups millet in 20-30 minutes...and the food processor was at 30 and not even close to being done. For homemade flour...I would highly recommend the blender!
Just as an fyi. I put my blender on liquefy to start, and then lower the speed to "mix" or puree and stir the grain through the opening at the top to prevent it from climbing up the sides. (I remove the little plastic circle from the top and stick the stirring spoon in, obviously, you are just shifting the top layer of flour, the spoon should never be close to the middle or the bottom of the blender...need I say more.)
Good luck grinding your own flour. Naturally, if you are baking lots or using lots of alternative grains, which get quite costly to purchase in flour form, a grinder will probably be a great investment..but until then...use the blender!
After you have "blended" your grain into flour, store in an airtight container in the refriderator...and preferably away from light. It will keep for a week or two. If the flavor starts to resemble the store purchased flour...you know it is time to blend up some more! (Thank you LAP for your question!)
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