V Cook—The Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie That’s Simply Delicious

Next week, Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving and one key component to the meal is the finishing punctuation, pumpkin pie. However, with holiday party season also upon us, it’s an ideal time to indulge in something delicious without the guilt. Enter VB’s friend, chef Andrea Rodriquez, who whipped up his take on the all-American classic. However, Rodriquez swapped out the traditional butter crust for a shortcrust pastry composed of cassava and tapioca flour with white chia, pumpkin, and golden linseeds for a healthier slant. And while no piece of pie would be complete without a dollop of whipped cream, try Rodriquez’s innovative take which uses zero fat, zero added sugar coconut yoghurt and vanilla for a fresh finish.

Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla 'Meringue' Peaks (medium-hard difficulty)

Serves: 8-10

Dish notes: Gluten free, low fat, low carb

Ingredients:

100 grams coarsely ground almonds 

100 grams tapioca flour

50 grams cassava flour 

25 grams pumpkin seeds

25 grams golden linseed

1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder

1 tablespoon white chia seeds

170 grams coconut butter 

3 egg whites, lightly whisked 

10 grams truvia sweetener 

800 grams cooked pumpkin 

14 grams truvia sweetener 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

2 egg whites 

1 tablespoon coconut butter 

175 millilitres almond milk

200 grams zero fat, zero added sugar coconut yoghurt 

1 teaspoon vanilla paste 

Prepare shortcrust pastry by combining flours, psyllium husk powder, sweetener and a pinch of salt in a MagiMix

Add coconut butter and pulse until the mixture resemble wet breadcrumbs

Add egg whites and pulse until combined

Finally add almonds and seeds and pulse to combine

In a bowl bring together the dough mixture with your hands, cut a big piece of baking paper (double the size of a 20 centimetre cake tin) and fold like a book

Grease both sides of the folded paper with coconut butter or avocado oil spray

Put the dough in between the folded baking paper and roll flat (about 1 centimetre) with a rolling pin (the shortcrust may seem to be crumbling but you should easily be able to put it back together by using your fingertips to press it together by opening the folded paper while rolling

Quickly but carefully lift the folded paper with the crust in between and line on top of a greased 20 centimetre cake tin

Gently press it down to fill the tin (don’t worry if it breaks or collapse a little at this stage as you will be able to correct it)

Lift the paper side up and with a pair of scissors cut the excess paper and adjust crust with your hands or fingertips to nicely fill the cake tin and perforate a bit here and there with a fork

Refrigerate for 15 minutes then bake blind (covered by a sheet of baking paper and baking beans) in a preheated oven to 180°C fan

After, remove paper and baking beans and keep baking for a further 10 minutes

Take out of the oven and leave to cool slightly

In the meantime make the filling by combining in a MagiMix cooked pumpkin, spices and vanilla

Add coconut butter and milk and combine then transfer to a bowl

In a separate bowl whisk egg whites with sweetener until hard peaks form and mix delicately with the pumpkin mixture from bottom to top with a spatula

Pour the mixture into the tart case and return to the oven for an additional 30-35 minutes until your pie is cooked through

Take out of the oven and leave to cool

Prepare your decoration by whipping the coconut yoghurt with vanilla paste and put it inside a piping bag, cut tip of the bag open (small hole) and pipe tiny dots all around the pie surface resembling tiny meringues

Your pie is ready to be served