Vegan Baking

Strawberry and rhubarb together in a flaky pie crust is probably the most effective way to ring in the spring and summer months via flavor alone. Strawberry and rhubarb's sweet and tart flavors are married with a hint of orange zest. Both of these fruits let go of lots of water during baking which can make things on the soupy side. A generous amount of arrowroot flour and a longer baking time at a slightly lower temperature than usual solves this issue and gives the pie a chance to bake to it's juicy perfection. It's like a summer vacation in your mouth. Be sure to select firm rhubarb with as much red as possible for the best flavor.

Gone Pie Vegan Bakery was kind enough to submit this Gluten-Free Pie Crust.

This year we went with a new pie crust for our gluten-free holiday pies. It is adapted from the wheat-free crust we have been making for years. I think it actually held together better and was an all around better crust than its inspiration. It is not a crust without issues. Using both tree nuts and gluten-free oats, it is not for everyone!

Here is the recipe. It makes enough crust for one 10 inch tart crust or three 7 inch crusts.

Apples with vegan cheddar cheese are a match made in heaven due to the contrasting flavors of sharp cheddar and tart apples. Be sure to use a sharp vegan cheddar cheese like Daiya or Cheezly Mature White Cheddar for best results. I used Daiya cheddar for the one in the photo.

This cobbler features the best members of the stone fruit family.  They're having a little family reunion in your cobbler and it tastes great.

This pie combines the three best flavor combinations in the dessert world.  It leaves nothing left to be desired.  Bake at your own risk!

I always thought pumpkin pie was amazing, until I tried sweet potato pie.  Sweet potatoes are sweeter and the flavor is more complex than pumpkin purée.  This makes a pie that is similar to a pumpkin pie but more yumtastic.

Peaches and pears make a wonderfully warm flavor combination in this cobbler.  It's like getting a group hug from a peach and a pear.

Sweet potatoes are sweeter than pumpkin and the flavor is more complex. This allows sweet potato pie to beat the living daylights out of pumpkin pie if the two were to battle in a flavor war.

This pumpkin pie recipe emulates a more traditional pumpkin pie recipe, with tofu replacing the eggs.

This pumpkin pie is a little unconventional because it involves cashew butter and barley malt.  But these two ingredients bring out the pumpkin flavor better than eggs ever could.

Making your own pie crust is time consuming but a homemade crust tastes about 23 times better than a store-bought one. You can make multiple batches and freeze the rest for later use. Home made pie crust has that irresistible flakiness and gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you made the whole pie. Also use this crust recipe for any pastry such as pop tarts, turnovers, English pasties or anything else you'd like to envelop in tender, flaky goodness.

In a pie crust the goal is tenderness and flakiness. This is achieved by a high level of fat and a low level of water. The fats serve two purposes: The margarine in this recipe breaks into small pieces, coating the flour and inhibiting gluten from forming. The shortening is cut into larger pieces so it doesn't break down as much when it's cut into the flour. This is so the shortening forms thin layers as the dough is rolled. These thin layers catch evaporating water as the crust bakes which causes the crust to form thin, flaky layers similar to what's found in puff pastry.

I thought I didn't like pecan pie until I stumbled upon this recipe.  The questionable brown 'mush' experienced in normal pecan pies is replaced by barley malt and maple syrup in this version.
9 inch pie crust (pre-baked if you're using a homemade crust).

Studies have shown that apple pie transfers flavors to the taste buds faster than the speed of sound.  Ok, maybe not but it sure does taste amazing.  If you don't have access to Granny Smith apples, make sure you use an apple that's green and tart.