chefbliss's fabulous pumpkin pie

A pumpkin pie even I love! I love pumpkin, in almost any form. I just have never liked pumpkin pie. The challenge this year was to make a food-challenge compliant pie, and if I could enjoy it too, well that would just be bonus points!

Here is the recipe I used for the filling:

• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 cup rice milk
• 1/2 cup agave or honey (I used agave)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 TB dark molasses, more to taste if needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Preheat oven to 425.

In large bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350. Bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight.

You will note in the picture that the pie is pulling away a bit from the crust. That may be from the pie or the crust, but it was delicious all the same! Enjoy!

decadent brownies with chocolate glaze

Lepkugen's Brownies:

1 cup maple syrup (or other natural sweetener, agave, honey, etc.)

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (peel and chop apples, cook on low until soft, then mash)

2 to 4 TB flax seeds (optional)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 and 1/3 cup oat flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

Rice milk (can use soy or other milk)

Mix all the ingredients together except the rice milk. Add the rice milk until it is the consistency that you like. I use about 3/4 cup. You can also add in grain sweetened chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
Cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Check before removing from oven. It tends to cook slowly in the middle so I recommend using a square or round pan, greased with a little coconut or olive oil.

Lepkugen's Decadent Chocolate Glaze:

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use chips or roughly chop up a bar) (This is acompletely unsweetened, bitter chocolate)

In a sauce pan combine:

1/2 cup rice milk

1/3 cup maple syrup, agave, honey or other sweetener

Cook until comes to a light boil then pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the glaze looks like a heavy chocolate sauce.

Glaze the brownies and enjoy!

How this recipe came to be:

Who would have believed that non-dairy, non-cane-sugar brownies would make me crave them? I have to admit the first attempt left me a little sad. The second batch, much altered and more educated, was a success with a little room for improvement: the center was a bit gooier than the outer edge. I am sure round three will be a supreme winner!
Round one was a vegan recipe that called for whole wheat pastry flour (1 cup) and a half cup of semolina. The brownies were more cake like and very heavy.
Round two I used lighter ingredients, changed a few things around and loved every bite!! I don't usually frost my brownies but several recipes suggested a glaze so I improvised and came up with the best dark chocolate frosting. If you have ever had a sour cream chocolate frosting, it was very reminiscent of that, but no dairy! How wonderful!