Directions

Dairy free Pie Crust recipe directions:

1. Mix the flour and salt either in a food processor attached with a dough blade or in a bowl (ideally a bowl that you can easily get your hands into). Pulse a few times or mix by hand. Add coconut oil. Pulse or do it by hand and use a pastry cutter/pastry blender (or a fork) to cut the oil into the flour for about 35-40 seconds. It will look like wet fine crumble like wet sand with no chunks left and beads of fat smaller than a pea. If using food processor keeping stopping to scrape down the sides in this step and next steps. (note: a stand mixer can be used too to reduce handling with warm hands).
2. Add 3 tbsp ice water, adding only as much as needed to get it into a dough. Mix with wooden spoon or pulse. add an extra tbsp of ice water, adding one tbsp at a time only as needed to make it a dough(if you take off a piece it should be easy to roll into a ball), and mix with spoon or pulse. Only use as much water as needed for dough to come together and so it is not too dry nor sticky. Very briefly knead it with your hands (they add warmth though so not long and don’t overwork the dough!)
3. Place ball of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper (with one paper on top of the dough and the dough on top of one paper or on a silicone non stick mat or marble board to prevent sticking as rolling, you can spray them lightly if needed) and use a rolling pin to roll it out as a disc shape.
4. Flip parchment paper over to gently turn out the dough over greased pie pan (greased with coconut oil of course!) and make short edges as this oil based crust doesn’t hold quite as strongly as buttery ones.
5. Flip the other rolled out dough disc to cover it, trim excess with kitchen scissors (fluting with fingers if desired, but its not necessary as long as its sealed, no fancy designs with coconut oil pie crust though!).
6. Can be made ahead, wrapped up in seran wrap, refrigerated for a day, or frozen and then thawed .
7. Paleo sub tip: if using almond flour, since almonds contain some fat you may want to decrease the oil slightly. You can also use a combo of almond and regular flour for better consistency.
8. If using a gluten free flour mix, use one with some xanthan gum, and do not freeze and thaw, its too crumbly. Also adding an egg can help and if so you may reduce the ice water. chill it 20 min before using.
9. If using whole wheat pastry flour you may need more water.

Pumpkin pie Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees. If using homemade pie shell prep as above. If using frozen thaw pie shell for 15 min. Place it on a sheet pan to avoid spills. Mix all filling ingredients except the eggs in a mixing bowl. stir the coconut smooth. whisk in eggs with a whisk.
2. Pour into crust. An extra step once you’ve put it on a sheet pan is to gently tap it on the counter to release air bubbles.
3. bake on middle rack for 10min. Turn down to 350 deg. Bake until crust is golden, approx 40 min, turning it halfway through for even baking (if you have a new powerful oven it may be ready a little quicker). Bake until it starts to solidify. It is ok if the middle is still slightly jiggly, it will thicken as the custard cools. If desired while hot dust with coconut sugar for caramely taste.
4. let it cool at least 2 hours to set since its a custard with eggs. after it cools for approx over an hour it can be refrigerated to help it set. th elonger it cools the more solid and fudgey it gets, but after two hours it will look like the one in my picture.
5. In the meantime make the pecans. preheat the oven to 350. line a sheet pan with parchment paper and toss the pecans on top. cover them in maple syrup and coconut oil and stir. make sure they are in single file in the end. bake for 7-10 minutes until golden brown but not dark brown. let them cool then assemble them on top of the pie. If desired glaze with a spoonful of maple syrup.