Chocolate Banana Cookie Dough Cream Pie

Who says a vegan can't have pie?!
A pie that is so delicious and good for you at the same time? Yes please!
Your family and friends would NEVER believe this pie isn't laden with processed sugars, butter, lard, modified corn starch and all that "natural and artificial flavouring" junk. But i don't blame you if you decide you want the whole pie to yourself because I grant you permission to eat this whole pie! 
But do try controlling yourself eh? ;)

Vegan whipped cream is the best thing I've ever experienced in my life. It tastes so. freaking. delicious. 
Coconut whipped cream= happy peanut crumpet

Chocolate Banana Cookie Dough Coconut Cream Pie

yield 1 pie that would make you go "MAMA MIA" 

Crust:

1 c. almonds

1 c. walnuts
1 1/2 c. dates

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Layer:

4 large bananas (set 2 aside for slicing)

3 tbsp. agave

1/4 c. almond butter

1 tbsp. coconut oil

dollop of vanilla paste (or splash of extract)

Pinch salt

1/4 cup cacao

splash of almond milk

Whipped Cream:

1 can full fat coconut milk, in fridge overnight (I used Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk)

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. stevia

splash of vanilla extract

For the crust, put everything into the food processor and pulse until it forms a sticky gooey delicious mass of dough. Remember to pulse so the oils of the nuts don't release as much to prevent it from being too oily! Take a generous amount of dough to press into your pie pan. Put your crust into the freezer to firm up while you make the filling. 

For the leftover "crust", roll them into cookie dough balls the size of the nail of your thumb and set those aside. 

For the chocolate layer, put all of your ingredients in the food processor (except the almond milk) and just give it a whirl until super smooth with the consistency of a thick pudding. If you think your mixture should be a little runnier, add a teensy weensy splash of almond milk, but don't add too much or the filling won't hold its shape!

Pour this lovely concoction into the prepared crust and let sit in fridge until it firms up a bit.

Once firm, slice your 1 banana thinly (so you get more slices), and scatter them in addition to some of the cookie dough balls all over the chocolate layer. Bat your eyelashes at the pie and admire for 1 minute (optional step ;) ). TIME TO MAKE THE COCONUT CREAM!

Take the coconut milk you've been hiding in your fridge and spoon off all the thick goodness from the top. You will be left with clear liquid which can be used for smoothies, or any coconutty baked goods. It tastes sort of like a coconut syrup/extract. I know coconut crumpet would approve. After the scooping of the yummilicious full fat coconut milk, it's time to whip it up baby! Use a handmixer or stand mixer for optimum fluff, but because I don't have a hand mixer and I didn't want to wash the large bowl of my stand mixer, I decided to whip by hand. Wheeee! When you get soft peaks, add your stevia in and whip until you get moderately stiff peaks! Now, you don't want to eat this whole bowl because your pie will make it all up to you later. So just spread this goodness on your pie and lick ALL the equipment that touched this luscious cream. 

Garnish your pie with another sliced banana and your remaining cookie dough balls, and stick it into the fridge for at least 1 hour before eating! (or you can eat it all gooey and melty :) )


Lots of nuts,
Peanut Crumpet xoxo

Baby Strawberry Whole Wheat Shortcakes

Baby Strawberry Whole Wheat Shortcakes

These miniature sized shortcakes are too adorable! They are the perfect size for high tea; slightly smaller than the circumference of a regular cupcake. May I mention that besides the whipped cream, they are fat-free and vegan? Talk about the perfect summer dessert! These shortcakes look absolutely stunning when served on a platter. Anything baby-sized is cute.

I chose to use strawberries because they are currently in season and super cheap to buy. I also like how it is possible to slice the strawberries and use the tips to make a star shape. To make this dessert look even better, opt to use a pipping bag to add the whipped cream. I ran out and had just plopped it on with an icing spatula. I guess you can say it gives it a more 'homemade/backyard barbeque' look, hahaha! Stabilizing whipped cream will allow the whipped cream to hold it's shape and to sit out on a plate for a long time without deflating and melting all over the place. Very important when you plan to eat for 4 hours on a summer's day.

Baby Strawberry Whole Wheat Shortcakes

Shortcake recipe from Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Yield: 9

Ingredients

Shortcakes

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• ½ cup + 3 tbsp whipping cream

Stabilized Whipped Cream (not vegan; Peanut Crumpet's vegan whipped cream can be found here)

• ½ cup whipping cream
• ½ tsp powdered gelatin
• ½ tbsp cold water
• Honey, to taste

Topping

• Sliced strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
2. In a large bowl combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add whipping cream; stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.  
4. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between mounds.  
5. Bake about 18 minutes or just until the tops begin to brown. Once the shortcakes are finished baking, allow them to cool completely before assembling.
6. To make stabilized whipped cream, whip whipping cream with an electric beater until soft peaks form.
7. Dissolve powdered gelatin in cold water and add it immediately to whipped cream.
8. Continue beating until incorporated. Sweeten with honey to taste and continue beating until stiff peaks. Store in fridge until ready to use.
9. To assemble, slice the shortcakes into half horizontally using a sharp knife and a gentle hand. Smear a dollop of whipped cream on the bottom side and arrange strawberry slices (or bits) on top. Smear a bit more whipped cream on the top half of the shortcake as 'glue' and sandwich on top. For more decoration, add a bit of whipped cream on the very top of the whole shortcake and top with half a strawberry. (Wow, how many times did I use the word 'top' in this step?)
10. Best eaten immediately, or can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡ 

3rd Tier: Mocha Cheesecake Squares, Coconut Muffin, and Green Tea Cream Puff

DIY Mother's Day High Tea at Coconut Crumpet's Home

As a dessertatarian, this is obviously the most exciting tier. The fact that I prepared an excess amount of each recipe didn't really bother me. That meant I would have dessert to last me a week, mwahahaha! There were a few bumps along the way during my baking of these desserts. A malfunctioning convection oven, running out of all purpose flour, burning this, burning that... Nevertheless, the guests didn't notice so let's just keep it between us, ok?

DIY High Tea for Mother's Day

DIY Mother's Day High Tea by Coconut Crumpet

To celebrate Mother's Day, as well as my mama's birthday, I prepared a high tea lunch for her and a group of close friends to enjoy. It took three or four days to prepare as one would never have enough time to cook, bake, and assemble everything in one day. With some helping hands and baking elves, this ambitious project of mine was successfully presented. Even if it was with [not purposely] mismatched dishes and a plastic tablecloth...

Sharing high tea with a group of friends is truly an experience every foodie should have, whether it be at a restaurant or hosting one yourself. It's a rare chance to dress up and act like a bunch of rich old grannies sitting at a beautifully adorned table having quality gossip time. That is the Crumpets' dream life as retirees.   

My love for high tea has grown significantly after this party. I just picked up 3 sets of tiered trays from Costco in preparation for any other opportunities for me to host another high tea. They only have 2 tiers, but hey, it was $6!

Below is the menu for that day's high tea. Recipes for select goods will be accessible through the links. The ones with no links are because there isn't really a recipe, the words you read are all the ingredients used. There just ain't much to it.
 

Open-faced Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Sandwich

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Bell Pepper, Mushroom, and Cheese Quiche

Shrimp and Avocado Crostini

French Onion Crab Round

Mini Bacon and Cheese Scone

Lemon Cranberry Scone

Devonshire Cream

Mocha Cheesecake Square

Coconut Muffin

Green Tea Cream Puff

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries with Toasted Almonds

Bailey's Chocolate Cupcakes

Bailey's Chocolate Cupcakes with Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, I present to you Bailey's cupcakes! My experience with this recipe has many ups and downs. Let me explain...

The first time I made this recipe, I accidentally doubled the amount of milk. Luckily, the 8 inch cake turned out perfectly fine. Now the second time I made it, I was too lazy to use applesauce so I replaced all the 'fat' with yogurt. That resulted in a very dense and hard cake. Not too good. Today, my luck has not been the greatest. (No four-leaf clover from the leprechaun for me?) Only after three trials and nearly 2 hours later did an acceptable cupcake come out of the oven. This was an unexpected blow to my baking ego, I suppose its a reminder to stay humble, haha!

Three trials later

1st trial: burnt.

2nd trial: too low of an oven temperature, expanded before becoming fulled cooked.

3rd trial: followed oven temperature in recipe + used a foil tent to shield the tops. 

Since I was baking these as gifts, I could not use burnt or ugly cupcakes. My family will take care of those...

Nevertheless, these cupcakes will please 'adults' and those who love Irish cream. Fudgey and rich in flavour, a tastey (and healthy!) cupcake for anytime of year!

Bailey's Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Skinnytaste 

Yield: 8 large cupcakes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 7 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 egg
• ½ cup stout
• ½ unsweetened apple sauce
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1½ tbsp oil

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
2. In a large bowl sift together all the dry ingredients; sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and espresso powder. 
3. In a medium bowl combine the wet ingredients (egg through canola oil) and beat until smooth.
4. With a mixer, slowly add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Pour about 3 heaping tbsp into each cupcake liner and bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

*Tip: If using a small convection oven, you may want to cover the top with some tin foil for the first 10-15 minutes and uncover to bake for the last few. This will prevent the tops from burning too fast.

Decoration Choices:

1. Bailey's Whipped Cream - Using an electric mixer, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of Bailey's and mix until incorporated. This works well for decorating cakes.
2. Bailey's Buttercream Frosting - For 8 cupcakes, beat ¼ cup of room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Sift in 1 cup of icing sugar until incorporated. Then add 2 tbsp of bailey and mix until pipping consistency is achieved.

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡