Vegan MoFo Day 25 - Sweet Things

Welcome to Vegan MoFo Twenty-Five

- Day 25 of Vegan Month of Food 2011

This week in 1969, Gladys Knight & The Pips'
Friendship Train
became their lucky 13 of 66 pop charting releases 
between 1961 and 1994.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn9p_mTHEEM&feature=related

The first of the season's local organic sweet potatoes

Sweet Things

were at my farmer's market this week.
(Thank you Gundermann Farms!)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gundermann-Farms/133870999990519

Pie Maker

gets the chance to fulfill its stated purpose,

making mini-pies.

Sweet crust recipe, 

for 2 9-inch crusts, or 16 mini-crusts:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled and diced

(I use a non-hydrogenated shortening)

1 1/2 cups Earth Balance or other vegan butter, 

chilled and diced

1 cup iced water

Combine dry dry ingredients in bowl and chill for 30 minutes.

Place in food processor and pulse to combine.

Add chilled shortening, and pulse until crumbly, 

maybe 10 times.

Add chilled vegan butter and pulse 8 times until mixture looks like small pebbles.

Add 6-8 TBS ice water and pulse 

until mixture starts to ball up.

Remove from processor bowl, shape into two discs

and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Roll each disc separately into a circle, and use the large cutter

 included with the pie make to shape crust.

Place into pie maker (do not preheat!).

Filling:

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

egg replacer equal to 2 eggs

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 TBS molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBS flour

1 TBS orange juice (optional)

1/2 cup non dairy milk

Mix all filling ingredients, except milk and orange juice, until smooth.

Add juice and milk and mix well.

Pour into unbaked pie crusts and bake until done,

12-15 minutes.

Pies should be firm.

Cool in pie maker 5 minutes before removing.

Let pie maker cool between batches.

(tune in Sweet Thing
by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWVuvw3P9Wo&feature=related