Saturday, October 06, 2012

Coconut Squash Pie

Although this recipe sounds very exotic, it actually just tastes like delicious pumpkin pie.  One day, I was sitting on the couch, and had the amazing idea of using coconut milk in the pumpkin pie recipe instead of whipping cream (sometimes I just use regular milk).  We also happened to have a squash lying around the house and so I used baked squash, instead of the usual canned pumpkin.  The homemade crust and pumpkin pie recipe have been posted in previous blog posts - but below is what I did to make this particular pie.  The filling is actually enough to make 2 pies, so I ended up stretching the single pie crust recipe to form 2 crusts and made 2 pies (and ate them both!!!).



Homemade Pie Crust (adapted from Wanda's Pie in the Sky cookbook):


1.5 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cold water

In large bowl, combine flour, salt, and butter.  Cut with pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together.  Sprinkle with the cold water, let rest for 30 seconds, then cut with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter.  Form dough into a disk and wrap in plastic (but save a small ball of dough for the topping).  Chill for 20 minutes.  Roll out disk on a lightly floured surface, and transfer dough to pie plate.



Coconut Squash Pie (adapted from an old Toronto Star article):


398mL pureed squash, baked
2/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C white sugar
1 T flour
1 1/2 t cinnamon (more!)
1/2 t each of salt, nutmeg, ground ginger (more!)
1/4 t each of allspice, black pepper (more!)
1 C coconut milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 C orange juice (I didn't have any and just substituted extra coconut milk)
3 T orange liqueur
1 1/2 t vanilla

Prick pie dough and bake at 400 degrees, 5 min until dry (but not brown).  Cool.
Reset oven to 375 degrees.
In large bowl, mix pumpkin, sugars, flour, spices.  Add cream, eggs, orange juice, liqueur, vanilla; whisk together.
Pour into shell and bake 45 to 60 min until slightly wobbly.

Carrot Cake - Recipe from Wanda's Pie in the Sky Cookbook

This is the best carrot cake recipe.  I realize this is a bold statement, and I firmly stick by it.  It is from the Wanda's Pie in the Sky cookbook which has amazing recipes all around.  Please do not deviate from the recipe because every single ingredient is very important.



Note:  This recipe makes 2 cakes.  You are actually supposed to layer the cakes I think, but I never do.

C=cup, T=tbsp, t=tsp

Cake
4 eggs
1  1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C oil
1/2 C orange liqueur
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
2 C grated carrots
1 C crushed pineapple
3/4 C broken walnuts
1 C coconut flakes
1 C raisins

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 2 cake pans.  Use electric mixer and beat eggs and sugar until pale and creamy.  Add oil, liqueur, vanilla and beat until well combined.  Add flour, baking power, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Add to egg mixture.  Stir in carrots, pineapple, walnuts, coconut, raisins.  Pour batter into pans.  Bake 25-30min (may take longer than this - poke with toothpick to see if ready).

Frosting - Make only 1/2 of this recipe!!!
1 1/2 C cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
5 C icing sugar
1/2 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1 T orange zest
1 T lemon juice

Use electric mixer and beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add icing sugar, almond extract, vanilla, orange zest.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Add lemon juice and beat until light and fluffy.  Spread on cake (after cake has cooled). 

Enjoy!!!  (Especially for breakfast).  :)