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Pumpkin Pie With Macadamia + Coconut Shortcrust
What's great about it
What I love about this pie is the simplicity of the macadamia nut crust and how it marries effortlessly with coconut and vanilla bean. I've used jap pumpkin to make this pie as it's so naturally sweet, so it doesn't require much work when it comes to sweetness. I also wanted to keep this pie whole food and plant based so I've used agar agar in place of the traditional eggs that are used to set most pumpkin pies. A little goes a long way and only small delicate portions are needed to satisfy.
Ingredients
Makes 1 pie
Crust
2 cups (180 g/ 6 1/4 oz) raw unsalted macadamia nuts
1 cup (80 g/ 2 3/4 oz) desiccated / shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chia seed
3 fresh pitted dates
2 tablespoons coconut butter or cold pressed coconut oil ( see notes )
Pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract / paste
Pumpkin filling
450 g (2 cups / 15 3/4 oz) roasted jap pumpkin (see how to roast pumpkin here)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch sea salt
3 fresh pitted dates
1 cup (250 ml / 8 3/4 fl oz) organic coconut milk or cream
1/2 cup (125 ml / 4 1/2 fl oz) water or extra coconut milk
2 teaspoons agar agar powder (see notes)
Method
Stage 1
1. Combine macadamia nuts, chia and coconut into a food processor until crumbly.
2. Add dates and sea salt and process again until the dates have combined through the nuts.
3. Add 2 tablespoons coconut butter and vanilla then process again until the raw macadamia nut crust has combined.
4. Press the crust into a 20 cm pie dish making sure to spread the mixture out evenly over the base and sides of the dish.
5. Your base is now ready for filling, so set aside and prepare the filling.
Stage 2
6. Combine pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, dates and 1 cup of coconut milk into a high-performance blender or food processor like a Vitamix.
7. Blend until silky smooth and creamy.
8. Combine the agar agar with water or the extra coconut cream in a small pot set over medium heat.
9. Mix through for 3 minutes or until agar agar has dissolved through the liquid. Make sure to keep stirring as agar agar tends to stick to the base of the pot.
10. Pour the agar agar into the pumpkin pie filling the blend through again until combined.
11. Spoon the filling into the raw macadamia nut pie shell and set in the fridge for at least 2 - 3 hours.
12. Cut small delicate slices and serve alone or with whipped coconut cream or lush organic yoghurt.
Notes and Inspiration
Agar Agar is also known as 'Kanten' in Japan. It's basically a vegan gelatine made from sea vegetables that works as an anti-inflammatory and is high in calcium and iron. Agar agar can be bought as a powder from most grocers or health food stores.
My pumpkin pie keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. It's delicious on it's own or dressed with coconut cream or lush organic yoghurt. You can also serve with a side of lime infused pineapple, mango or papaya.