Pie 8: Lemon and Coconut with a Vodka/Coconut Oil Crust

Pie 8: Lemon and Coconut with a Vodka/Coconut Oil Crust

I can't believe how fast the year is flying by. It seems like only yesterday I was on a one-way flight to NYC. Now, Chris and I are already looking for tickets to go back home for the holidays and thinking of what to buy our loved ones for the holidays. It's amazing how quickly your life can change over the course of a year.

This week I had an interesting challenge presenting to myself from one of Chris's coworkers. She is on a diet that doesn't allow her to eat dairy. Her challenge for me was to make a pie dough without using dairy, substituting it with coconut oil. To be honest, I was a little taken back by this challenge. First of all, I have never seen or heard of coconut oil my entire life. Secondly, because I have never used it I am unfamiliar with it's properties and how it handles as a fatty substance in pie crust. However, like a 18 year old boy signing up for the military I went in head first to see if I could figure out how to make the perfect crust. (**In accent***If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right or I wasn't going to do it, or maybe I would... who knows?)

No butter is difficult for me, especially because I know that butter makes everything taste better. I decided I would replace the butter with the coconut oil and add in vodka to make everything even out. You can't take away all the good things, and besides who doesn't love vodka! The crust turned out to be absolutely delicious, and I felt very superior accepting a challenge and coming up on top. The only thing I would recommend is that if you are expecting coconut oil to work the same way as butter, be prepared and flexible. Coconut oil is far more sticky and will require you to use more flour when you are rolling out the dough.

Lemon Coconut with a Vodka/Coconut Oil Crust:

A Vegan Hangover Crust: (makes 2 crusts)
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup coconut oil, cold
1/4 cup citron vodka (ice cold)
1/4 cup water (ice cold)

This is a dough has the capability to get messy quickly. Similar to how you'd make a butter or shortening crust, coconut oil works in a similar fashion. However, when your fingers come in contact with it, until butter, it instantly turns to oil. Use very cold utensils while working with this substance. In a medium bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt together with a whisk. With a pastry knife cut in the coconut oil. Unlike butter or shortening. Make sure you cut in the coconut oil very finely. Unlike butter, which should be the size of a pea, cut in the coconut oil so there are no chunks bigger than the size of quinoa. If you have chunks in your dough, it will leave solid holes in your crust. Once this is complete, with a rubber spatula, slowly add the water and vodka while you mix and fold the dough. Clump together and place in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.

Preheat oven to 350. When you roll out the dough, make sure you have a nicely floured surface. Roll out the dough a couple of times and then flip, adding more flour each time so that the dough doesn't stick to the counter. Place in pie shell and flute the edges. With a fork stab the bottom and sides of the pie crust. Place parchment paper in pie and fill with pie weights or beans. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Take out parchment paper/weights and let cool.

Pie Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp.
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cup fresh coconut
2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and blend until a pale yellow color resembles a satin texture. Add vanilla, lemon juice and buttermilk. With a spatula fold in the lemon zest and 1 cup of coconut. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle remaining coconut onto top of the pie and place into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 350 for an additional 40-45 minutes. While I was baking this coconut on top began to brown quickly. I'd recommend adding a little aluminum foil on the top half way through. Chill in refrigerator for 3 hours prior to serving.

ENJOY!

Pie 6: Vegan Cherry Pie

Pie 6: Don't judge a vegan by it's crust...

It is starting to becoming a tradition at the Hipp and Luzniak residence (notice who's name came first) to host a weekly dinner party. For those of you who follow my life like a blood hound, you are well aware that these parties are more centered around the show "Glee" then anything else. ("You sunk my battleship Rod, and you sunk it hard!") I however find it hard to believe that my friends are ONLY coming to see "Glee", I'm sure they come for one reason only... and that's to eat my pie.

This weeks theme is Vegan and to my surprise most of my friends are bringing wine, lots and lots of wine.... that's different? I guess it's to be suspected. Michael is a wine importer, Dawn has a refined palate, and Justin... well... Justin is just a lush. My friends are a big "melting pot", which makes it fun, and of course they take after me and are hilarious! It's great to have a bunch of people together to share conversation and judgments over a great show and food.

I decided to make a vegan cherry pie because I've been craving cherry pie lately and I think that a cherry pie won't lack very much flavor by substituting the butter for soy margarine and vegetable shortening. If you were to ask my father how to eat a cherry pie he'd say, "It must be warm and served with vanilla ice cream." Too bad he's 3000 miles away and won't be able to scarf it down with us.

Make sure that when you're selecting your cherries that you find ones that have sourness to them, sour is "trump" for cherry pie. The best place to find them is at farmers markets around September/October. If you can't find fresh cherries you can easily substitute canned pie cherries. If this is the case you'll probably need 2-3 cans.

Vegan Cherry Pie:

Easy Pie Dough Recipe:
2/3 cups plus 2 Tbsp chilled vegetable shortening
2 cup flour (all-purpose)
1 tsp salt
4-6 Tbsp ice water

Like my previous pie dough recipes the same techniques should be used on this recipe. Remember: always cold utensils and bowls. Cut in the shortening with the flour/salt, then add the water slowly, aproximately 1 Tbsp at a time as you are stirring with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Prepare the filling while it is being cooled.

Pie Filling:
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp vegan margarine (soft at room temperature)
1 cup cranberry juice
6 cups of cherries (pitted)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
(1 tsp red food dye: optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk the cornstarch and sugar together. Pour in the cranberry juice. Make sure your working quickly and constantly whisking so the cornstarch does not clump and harden. Add margarine and lemon juice and whisk. Add cherries and stir with a rubber spatula to evenly coat. Set aside while you finish preparing the dough.

Cut dough into two equal pieces, and roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface into two disks. Add 1 disk into the pie pan and cut the other into 8 equal strips for weaving the top crust (if desired).

Add the cherry mixture to pie filling. With the additional dough you can either place it directly on top and cut ventilation holes or like I recommend, the decorative braiding pattern. If you're doing a braiding pattern it's easiest to start by laying down all your vertical strips of dough. Then as you add each horizontal strip you can pull back every other vertical strip so that the end result looks like a knitted piece of dough. If you are having problems with this technique or have questions, feel free to email me.

Brush the dough with a little bit of water and then sprinkle with sugar, this will form a nice crunchy texture on the crust. If you're not trying to make it vegan I'd recommend using heavy cream or egg yolk instead of water. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 40-50 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly you may add aluminum foil to the edges to slow this process down. Let sit for atleast 90 minutes before cutting into.

ENJOY!!!