My Christmas decorations are finally all put out and my house is beginning to look normal again. I just vacuumed up a bunch of glitter, flocking and those fake evergreen leaves. I can never get all of it, so it’ll be around for months, especially after we take everything down again!!
So, I can finally take a minute to share a couple (yes, two!!) pie recipes. I made these last week for Thanksgiving so it seemed perfect to share them in one post. After all, you always need at least two pies, right?
Cooking and baking is a challenge in our family. My dad has celiac disease and my mom has lactose and soy intolerances. Try to come up with a meal and dessert with those restrictions!! Actually, I think we’re getting pretty good at it. Except for my lemon meringue pie disaster last year. Whoops!
Pumpkin Pie
I made this pumpkin pie last year for Thanksgiving and it was a hit so why mess with success? But you just never know how these “special” recipes are going to turn out. I can now say I’ve had two successes, so I consider it a recipe worth sharing.
It uses coconut milk but you won’t taste the coconut. You can find canned coconut milk in the Asian section of your grocery store. Make sure it’s milk and not a coconut beverage.
I use a frozen gluten-free crust but you can also make your own GF crust, either from scratch or with a mix. The frozen crusts are easy and taste good, so I don’t see the need to make any more work for myself!!
When it’s time to bake it, be sure and put it on a level surface in the oven. The filling goes all the way to the top and any tipping will spill it. You’ll see filling on the crust in my picture. I started out using a cookie sheet that warps in the oven. I won’t do that again. I moved it to a sheet that I knew would stay level and it was fine.
Pay attention to the note in the recipe below. Chilling the canned coconut makes the filling firmer.
French Silk Pie
The French silk was a new recipe. And I didn’t limit it to the above dietary restrictions. It contained gluten, dairy, and soy, so it wasn’t something my parents could try. More for the rest of us, especially those that don’t like pumpkin pie.
I chose this particular recipe because it involved cooking the eggs. Until I was searching, I never realized French silk pie contained eggs and raw ones in many recipes. I also was drawn to the Oreo crust, but I’m sure it would be good with a regular crust too.
You should have seen my kitchen. It’s a good thing I have two stand mixers. I had both of them going at once!!
Oh, and I also topped the whipped cream with some toffee bits. I had some in my pantry and thought they would add a nice flavor.
So, we have another major holiday coming up and these pies would be perfect. The only change I might make would be to double the amount of whipped cream on the top of the French silk. This provides a thin layer, which some may prefer. I think I would have liked a little more. 😁
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Soy-Free Pumpkin Pie
If you're making this for anyone who can't have gluten, dairy or soy, this is the pumpkin pie for you. Don't let all that scare you away. It's great to have a pie that anyone can eat and enjoy. And even though it uses coconut milk, you'll never taste it.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 t. ground cloves
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 c. canned coconut milk (regular, full-fat)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425F.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
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In a large bowl, beat the eggs.
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Beat in the sugar mixture, pumpkin, and vanilla until smooth.
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Fold in the coconut milk.
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Pour the filling into an unbaked pie crust (completely thawed, if using a frozen crust) and bake for 15 minutes.
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Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and continue to bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. It's OK if it's a bit wobbly as it firms up as it cools.
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Cool the pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. This is important.
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For the firmest pie, refrigerate for 4 hours or more before serving.
Recipe Notes
The pie will set up thicker if you refrigerate your can of coconut milk and then skim the cream off the top. After the cream is off, add more of the milk to get to 1 cup. Whisk it before adding to the pie filling, so it’s smooth. However, if you don’t have the time, you can shake the can and use it as is.
Original recipe is from www.godairyfree.org
www.retired introvert.com
French Silk Pie
Delicious and easy French Silk pie with an Oreo crust and no raw eggs. Perfect for any special occasion.
Ingredients
Crust
- 20 cookies Oreo (regular stuffed with filling intact)
- 3 T. unsalted butter (melted)
Filling
- 1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (melted)
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- 10 T. unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 1/3 c. heavy cream
- 4 t. powdered sugar
Topping
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 2 T. powdered sugar
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- chocolate shavings or cocoa powder (for garnish, if desired)
Instructions
Crust
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Preheat the oven to 375F.
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Spray a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.
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Place the Oreo cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
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Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened.
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Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.
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Bake for 10 minutes or until fragrant.
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Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Filling
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In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and the eggs.
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Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches 160F and coats the back of a metal spoon.
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Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
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Cool to just warm, stirring occasionally.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
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Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
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In a clean bowl, beat the cream until it begins to thicken.
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Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
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Fold into the chocolate mixture.
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Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing it evenly.
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Chill for 6 hours. (At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.)
Topping
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Beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.
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Top the pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shaving or dust from cocoa powder.
Recipe Notes
www.retiredintrovert.com
French silk pie is never on my top ten list of pies.
Until now.
Ooh!!! So glad I could tempt you. This one’s pretty yummy!! 😋
French Silk perfect🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻
Definitely going to try the French silk👏👏👏
Let me know what you think. It was easier to make than I thought it would be. Have fun!!
I might still add more whipped cream!!