Mmmm...Pie (Project 358: Day 124)

I recently hosted a long overdue girl's night at my house. It was so wonderful to see some of my favorite women (missed you muchly, Mel!), chat about our lives, drink wine (or hot tea), and enjoy a slice of this decadent chocolate ganache pie with mixed berry sauce:

Day 124: Mmmmm.....pie

I have to say, this photo does not do the pie justice. I think I was focusing on the conversation more than the photo I was taking and, apparently, my camera was doing the same. The texture was smooth and creamy, the flavor rich and not too sweet. It was sinfully delicious. And yet, because it contains no eggs or dairy, it is low in fat and cholesterol. Best of all, it is super easy to make.

Here is the recipe, which I got from one of my favorite cookbooks in the whole wide world, The 30 Minute Vegan by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

(preferably grain-sweetened) (see Tips and Tricks, below)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 (12.3-ounce) package Mori-nu firm silken tofu

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 premade pie shell

1. Melt the chocolate chips by heating them in a double boiler over medium heat (see Tips and Tricks, below) until the consistency is smooth, lump-free, and creamy, stirring only once or twice.
2. Meanwhile puree the maple syrup, tofu, vanilla, and sea salt in a food processor until smooth. When the chocolate is thoroughly melted (about 20 minutes), add it to the food processor and blend well.
3. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and chill until firm all the way through, about 1 hour.

Tips and Tricks

This dish will come out sweeter if you use the more common semisweet chocolate chips, which contain cane sugar. Sunspire sells a variety that we prefer, which is grain-sweetened (I found them in the Natural Foods department at Raley's), but either one will work -- sweeten to your heart's content.

Also, when melting chocolate in a double boiler (which can also be any glass or stainless-steel bowl set on top of a pot with 1 to 2 inches of boiling water in it), be absolutely sure that both the bowl and anything you use to stir the chocolate are completely dry. A good way to make sure the melting pot or bowl is dry is to start heating it before you put the chips in; this will dry out any moisture. The slightest droplet of water will "seize" the chocolate, leaving it lumpy and devastatingly imperfect looking. But surely do not cry over broken chocolate; everyone still loves to lick it up and your lumpy little pie will still taste divine.

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The authors of the cookbook suggest topping the pie with their Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce. I didn't have any rhubarbs on hand, so I adapted the recipe a bit:

Ingredients

2 cups frozen mixed berries, thawed

1/4 cup agave nectar

Pinch of sea salt

1. Blend the berries, agave, and salt until smooth.

(If you have leftovers, as I did, the sauce is fantastic as a topping for waffles or as a mix-in for your morning bowl of oatmeal. Throw some chopped walnuts into the mix. Delicious!)

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If you have a little more time on your hands, the book provides a recipe for a Live Piecrust that sounds absolutely divine. Next time I make this pie, I am definitely going to budget in the time for this one, and leave the premade crust on the store shelves. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups almonds

1 1/4 pitted Medjool dates

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of cardamom, nutmeg, or allspice

1. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until just ground. Add the dates, coconut, cinnamon, and cardamom, and process until the dates are broken up and the mixture begins to run up the sides of the processor. You may need to add more dates if you are using a variety that is not as moist as the Medjool.
2. Use your hands to press the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and refrigerate. The crust should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Variations

• Try using only 3/4 cup of almonds, plus 3/4 cup of either pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts.
• Replace the dates with other dried fruits, such as apricots.
• Replace 1/2 cup of the crust's dates with raisins. These dried fruits will not stick together with the nuts as well as dates, so add agave nectar -- start with 2 tablespoons, and add more as needed to hold things together.
• For a low-fat version, replace the almonds with raw buckwheat groats.

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My final word of advice on this pie: make sure you've got enough people to share it with. Otherwise, it may become breakfast. Or a late-night snack, smeared with peanut butter. Gross! Who would do such a thing? Certainly not me....(psst! it was delicious!)