Being someone who experiments with gluten free and other allergen free recipes I thought I'd try to create a treat free from all the major nasties: sugar, gluten, dairy and egg! This was a bit of a challenge and I wasn't entirely successful, but the result was edible and at least resembled a tasty treat.
With some modifications this basic recipe could potentially be very good, but for anyone wanting to give it a try for themselves here's my basic recipe for a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free coconut cream cocoa pie with a coconut flour crust. You can use honey to sweeten the crust and filling if you wish, or omit if you want it to be totally sugar free. I used ground flaxseed mixed with water as a binder to replace the egg - you can find flaxseed in supermarkets or Holland & Barrett.
This recipe is also suitable for those following low-carb diets such as Atkins, Paleo or the GAPS diet. If any of my followers make this recipe please do bear in mind that it will taste nothing like what you're used to - but who knows, you may be surprised at the results!
Firstly here is the basic pie crust recipe which I found here:
Coconut Flour Pie Crust:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp coconut oil (Holland & Barrett sell this)
1/2 cup coconut flour (Holland & Barrett sell this)
1 egg (to make this egg-free I used 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
1 tbsp honey (I omitted this to make it sugar-free)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt (optional)
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Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Make sure to soften the butter and coconut oil beforehand. It should form like a loose dough or thick powder. Just make sure it is thick enough to pack down into the pan. Grease a springform pan and press mixture into the bottom to form a crust. Bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees celsius) for 10 minutes or until sides appear brown.
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Once the crust is made, set it aside while you prepare the filling.
Filling:
I used a can of coconut milk mixed with several tablespoons of cocoa powder, and then froze it for my filling, however it would probably be better with coconut cream which has a much thicker consistency than coconut milk. You can add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the filling if you wish - just heat the coconut milk/cream with the honey in a saucepan until it mixes well, then pour into a bowl and pop in the freezer until it thickens up.
It shouldn't take too long to become firm, but do keep checking on it so it doesn't turn into a frozen block! The consistency should be thick and almost mousse-like so it can be poured into the pie crust and then chilled. Once the filling has a nice thick consistency, fill the pie crust with it to the edges and smooth down. You can then freeze it for a bit longer, or if it's already quite solid just chill it in the fridge. Once the filling is firm enough, cut the pie into slices and enjoy!
There are many possible variations to this basic recipe. You can add fruit and nuts to the filling or as a topping. You can make a filling without cocoa, and add vanilla seeds to make a more creamier plain filling. As this is a recipe for those with limited dietary options, just modify to your tastes and restrictions. It would probably be great with a cream cheese filling if you can tolerate dairy!
This post is a bit of a departure for Kev's Snack Reviews, but I hope someone finds it useful!
