My Oh PIe!

I am exhausted! To the point that I thought about not posting a recipe this weekend. I spent all day tearing up the remaining pieces of yard/plants/weeds in my landlord's yard and prepping/making beds for the spring garden. Here's a picture to prove it:

It's been a while since I've had a day full of manual labor! I guess it got me thinking about treating myself to something special....

As in mudslide pie! (That's the pie in the picture I posted first.) I've never been a pie girl. I've always blamed it on growing up in a family that seemed allergic to baking. I lived with a beautiful soul who loved to make pies, and I always believed it to be some incredible feat. Well, let me tell you. It is impossible to mess up this delicious dessert. Just try, and don't let any excuses get in your way. Again, this was something that I took to a staff lunch, and most of my co-workers were amazed that something raw could taste so darn good.

Mudslide Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

For the crust:

1 1/2 c. coconut flakes

3/4-1 c. almonds

1 1/2 oz. cacao powder

3/4 c. well-packed, finely chopped dates

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

For the white chocolate filling:

1 1/4 c. coconut milk ***

1 1/4 c. cashews, soaked for 8 hours and drained

1/4 c. + 1 tbsp. agave nectar

2 tbsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. soy lecithin (found at any health food/natural grocery store, look for non-gmo)

1/4 c. + 1 tbsp. cacao butter***

***Coconut Milk: You can either buy the stuff in the can (not as fresh) or purchase a young thai coconut from any asian market. To make milk: Blend water (translucent liquid) with the coconut meat. Be careful when prying the top off. (I have a large scar on my pinky finger from not being careful!!) Use a large, sharp cleaver or heavy chef's knife. Hold the coconut against a flat surface with the point facing up. With one large swing, bring down the cleaver or chef's knife about 1 1/2 inch from the top point. Move around the point and continue the same motion, creating a "lid" that you can pry off the coconut.

***Cacao butter is really expensive. When I can't afford it, I throw in 1 1/4 c. +1 tbsp. coconut butter (bought from the bulk section at my local health food store) and about 2 tbsp. extra cocoa powder.

For the almond butter filling:

1/3 c. raw almond butter

1 1/4 c. white chocolate filling

For the chocolate filling:

1/4 c. almond milk***

2 tbsp. agave nectar

1 1/2 tbsp. cacao powder

1 tbsp. vanilla

Small pinch of salt

1 tsp. soy lecithin

2 tbsp. raw cacao butter

***Almond milk: Blend soaked almonds and water until smooth, milk consistency. Use a 1:3 ratio. For every 1 c. soaked almonds, use 3 c. water. (Remember to soak your almonds for 8 hours.)

To make the crust:

To the bowl of your food processor fitted with the 's' blade, process coconut flakes, almonds, cacao powder, vanilla, and salt until small and crumbly. Continue processing while adding small amounts of the dates until the crust sticks together. (I had to use more dates than the recipe called for to get the crust to stick together. Finely chop a few extra than the recipe calls for to be prepared.) Grease a 9-inch pie pan with unscented coconut butter and press the process ingredients into the pan, forming the crust.

To make the white chocolate and almond butter fillings:

Blend all the white chocolate filling ingredients except lecithin and cacao butter until smooth. Add cacao butter and lecithin, blending until well mixed. Leave a little less than 1 1/4 c. of this mixture in your blender. Set the other portion in your fridge. Add the almond butter to the blender, blend until smooth, and refrigerate this portion as well.

To make the chocolate filling:

Blend all the ingredients except the lecithin and cacao butter until smooth. Add the lecithin and cacao butter until well mixed. Set in fridge.

Swirling the fillings together:

You want all three fillings to be set to a consistency similar to pancake batter. Spoon the fillings into the prepared crust. Do this in layers, alternating each filling. Stick in a chopstick and twirl it around to get a neat marble effect.

Set in the freezer for 30-40 minutes, and then serve immediately. I was taking mine to work the following day, so I let it sit in the freezer overnight.

This is a must try raw dessert! Bon appetit!