Paleo Pecan Pie

This classic dessert was so easy to make over, I almost feel cheap in posting it. I adapted the famous recipe from a corn syrup bottle (yuck) and updated it with low-glycemic coconut sweeteners and oil for a gooey, crunchy and much healthier pie experience. Low-sugar it’s not, but it’s better for you than store-bought, for sure. Be sure to read the notes about the crust below before you give it a spin in your own kitchen.

Crust:

1/2 cup sifted coconut flour
1/2 blanched almond flour
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2T honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray deep-dish pie pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with coconut oil. In a small bowl, sift coconut flour and stir together with almond flour and salt. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat eggs with honey and coconut oil. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir. Knead together with your hands briefly until a smooth dough forms. If the dough feels too soft and sticky to roll, knead in a little more sifted coconut flour. 

Form dough into a ball and roll out onto a coconut-flour-dusted Silpat mat or other clean work surface (or between two sheets of waxed paper) in a circular shape. Flip mat over onto a deep-dish pie pan and cut edges. Patch up as needed until crust runs all the way up the sides of the pie plate evenly (important, as there is a lot of filling). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight or for at least three hours (note: don’t skip this step; if you do, the crust will burn before the filling reaches the proper level of doneness).

Filling:

1 cup coconut nectar
3 eggs
1 cup coconut sugar
2T coconut oil
4 drops Medicine Flower vanilla extract or 1 tsp regular vanilla extract
1½ cups pecans

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix together coconut nectar, oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in pecans.

Pour into frozen pie crust. Bake on center rack of oven for about 15 minutes, then cover sides of pie pan with foil and return to oven for 30 to 40 minutes until filling is lightly brown and no longer jiggly (it can still have a tiny bit of wiggle to it, as it will thicken upon cooling).

If the filling is getting too dark midway through baking, place a piece of foil over the top of the pie for the final segment of baking. Remove from oven and cool for several hours before serving.

 
Note: Even after pre-freezing the crust, it still gets far darker than it should. It tastes delicious anyway, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a picture-perfect dessert to take to a dinner party, simply because of appearances. If you make these into tarts instead of pie, I suspect the problem would be solved. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Crumble Cups

The strawberry-rhubarb-custard combo is a classic, and you needn't wait until summer to enjoy it. The filling in this dessert makes a fabulous jam–tastier and healthier than any commercial variety you might find. You can add some stevia if you like it a bit sweeter, but I think it’s perfect as it is.

Crust:
Make a half batch of this recipe from Comfy Belly, substituting coconut nectar for the honey (if desired) and coconut oil for the melted butter.

Custard:
4 eggs
3/4 cup (plus a few tablespoons more) full-fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
A few shakes nutmeg

Filling:
12oz strawberries, fresh or frozen
4oz frozen rhubarb
1/2 cup honey or coconut nectar
1T lemon juice
1T sifted arrowroot powder
1-2 drops Medicine Flower vanilla extract (optional)
3 drops Medicine Flower strawberry extract (optional)

Topping:
1T solid coconut oil
2T almond flour
1T sifted coconut flour
2T coconut sugar
2T shredded coconut
1T Medicine Flower coconut extract (optional)
Sliced almonds
A few shakes cinnamon

Crust:
Prepare per Erica’s directions, but don’t bake. Press into deep ramekins sprayed with olive oil cooking spray or greased with coconut oil. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Filling:
Combine all ingredients except arrowroot powder and extracts in a small pot on the stove and bring to a light boil. Sift in arrowroot powder one-half tablespoon at a time. Simmer slowly until thickened to a bit runnier than jam-like consistency (it will thicken more after it cools). Stir in extracts, if using. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Custard:
Move oven rack to the rung just above the middle. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat together eggs, coconut milk, salt and nutmeg. Pour over frozen crusts inside ramekins. Bake until lightly golden but still a bit jiggly but not runny (about 35-40 minutes, depending on size of ramekins). Remove from oven and set aside.

Topping:
Combine all dry ingredients and cut/stir in coconut oil. Add extract, if using.

Assembly:
Spread prepared filling onto cooked custard layer and sprinkle with topping mixture and almonds, leaving a small space at the top of the ramekins (the filling and topping will bubble up when cooked; you don’t want a mess in your oven). Bake until filling bubbles and topping is lightly browned.

This can be eaten warm or cold, bit I find it’s best cold, after it’s been covered and refrigerated overnight, giving the flavors a chance to meld.

Notes: You may have a bit of custard, jam and topping mixture leftover, which you can use to make a crustless version of the above in a small ramekin. I’d save the filling to use as jam or to stir in plain yogurt, though – amazing.