So this is how I’ve been keeping busy over the past week or so… it took 3 tries, but here I present:
Gluten-free, vegan, low-sugar (but still yummy!) Pumpkin Pie
3.5 Tbsp tapioca flour (or cassava, from Asian or Caribbean grocery)**
- 400g EcoMil vanilla almond dessert (recipe originally called for amazake; soya dessert could also work but haven’t tried it)
- 125g fructose
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 4 tsp. cinnamon or to taste
- 2 tsp. mixed spice or to taste
- 100g firm silken tofu (Clearspring UHT is good)
- 425g cooked and pureed pumpkin – Libby’s gives best results, use whole can (organic pumpkin wasn’t as good)
- 9” or 10” gluten-free pie crust – I used ready-made pastry (Genius) but it does have some whey in it; read ingredients carefully
Note: This is not a quick recipe! It’s faster with a food processor or blender to puree the mixture, but allow at least an hour to get the filling ready.
Cook the tapioca flour in the vanilla dessert until the mixture has thickened enough to stand a spoon in it.
Add fructose, nutmeg, mixed spice, and cinnamon.
Puree tofu in the mixture – I find it’s best to add the tofu to the pot and break it up before pureeing, but this may be less of a problem when using a food processor. When it’s ready, you should no longer be able to spot the bits of tofu in the mixture.
Fold in pumpkin puree.
Fill pie crust with mixture. If making a 9” pie, you’re likely to have some left over, which can be baked in an ovenproof dish as a custard or made into tarts if you have extra pastry.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for one hour, by which time it will puff up round the edges but still feel slightly wobbly in the middle. Let pie cool on a wire rack for several hours. Serve at room temperature or refrigerated, on its own or with whipped cream or custard if desired by non-vegans.
** If you can’t find tapioca flour, can use 4 Tbsp. Old Fashioned Tapioca Pearls (do not use Minute Tapioca). You’ll have to watch carefully and stir frequently on low heat for about 45 minutes or until pearls become translucent and soft. It’s really important to get the tapioca to soften or pureeing the mixture will be very difficult. If using tapioca pearls, make sure your food processor is heavy-duty; I have killed a couple of blenders with this mixture. I wouldn’t try to do this with the manual food mill if using tapioca pearls, as it would take all day.