The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking - Donna Diegel [76]
3. In a large bowl, combine cherries, 1¼ cups unbleached cane sugar, tapioca pearls, ground cinnamon, and almond extract, tossing to coat. Pour into piecrust, and dot with cold vegan margarine.
4. Unfold top crust, and place it over cherry filling. Fold edges of top crust over and under bottom edges, and flute with your fingertips. Crusts can also be sealed with the tines of a dinner fork.
5. Brush crust with soy milk, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon unbleached cane sugar. Cut small decorative vent holes into top crust using a knife or a very small cookie cutter.
6. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbly. Place a piece of aluminum foil around the rim if the edges start to brown too fast. For best results, cool on a wire rack for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Cool completely before wrapping with plastic wrap. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Double-wrap, and this pie will freeze well for up to 3 months.
VEGAN VOCAB
Tapioca is a starch extracted from the cassava root and is used as a thickener in puddings, pies, and jellies. Quick-cooking or minute tapioca works well in binding the cherry pie. No prep is needed; just add it right in with the cherries. Tapioca is sold in most supermarkets in the baking section. Flour helps bind the pie; you can even use a combination of both flour and tapioca.
Southern Peach Pie
Ripe, juicy peaches baked with a hint of cinnamon and piled high in a flaky crust is a summertime favorite. Try it served with vegan peach ice cream or sorbet for a real treat.
Yield:
1 (9-inch) pie
Prep time:
60 to 70 minutes
Bake time:
50 to 60 minutes
Serving size:
1 slice
2 Flaky Piecrust dough balls (recipe
in Chapter 13)
5 cups fresh or frozen peaches,
peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1¼ cups plus 1 TB. unbleached
cane sugar
½ cup unbleached all-purpose
flour
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon or nutmeg
2 TB. cold nonhydrogenated vegan
margarine, cut into small pieces
1 TB. soy, rice, or almond milk
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out Flaky Piecrust bottom and top (see Chapter 13 if you need a refresher), leaving enough overhang to fold underneath. Place bottom piecrust evenly in a 9-inch pie pan or ceramic pie dish. Fold top crust in ½ and place a kitchen towel over it so it doesn’t dry out.
3. In a large bowl, combine peaches, lemon juice, 1¼ cups unbleached cane sugar, unbleached all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon, tossing to coat. Pour into piecrust, and dot with cold vegan margarine.
4. Unfold top crust, and place it over peach filling. Fold edges of top crust over and under bottom edges, and flute with your fingertips. Crusts can also be sealed with the tines of a dinner fork.
5. Brush crust with soy milk, and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon unbleached cane sugar. Cut small decorative vent holes into top crust using a knife or a very small cookie cutter.
6. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbly. Place a piece of aluminum foil around the rim if the edges start to brown too fast. For best results, cool on a wire rack for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Cool completely before wrapping with plastic wrap. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Double-wrap, and this pie will freeze well for up to 3 months.
BAKER’S BONUS
Frozen peaches are an excellent choice for peach desserts during the winter when fresh peaches are hard to come by. Most supermarkets stock IQF (individually quick frozen) peaches in their freezer section. Use frozen peaches right from the bag, or thaw out and drain completely before using them in this pie. Add an extra 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour to the frozen peaches to soak up the extra juice.
Blueberry Pie
This traditional double-crusted pie is bursting with fresh fruit flavor. The antioxidant-rich blueberries make