In one of my favorite movies, Dan in Real Life, the family asks Marie to tell them something that most people don't know about her. She ponders a moment, and then replies, "I'm an accomplished maker of bundt cakes." No, I don't make bundt cakes, but I have been known to be an accomplished maker of pies. One year, I made 9 pies for the Wagner Thanksgiving Bash. And they were good, oh so good. Much of that had to do with the fact that I made them all from scratch, delicious tried and tested crust included, and I didn't overdo it on the sugar but focused on the fruit.
Now that I have decided to eat different foods, I feel a great desire to redesign all my pies. The crust will be exceedingly difficult because it was basically white flour, butter and shortening...but I will clear that hurdle sometime in the future. For now, I want to focus on my fillings, and I believe it is ok to settle for a graham cracker pie crust - pre-made, not quite as good, and not 100% healthy, but it's a start.
Banana Cream Pie, I think I would be right in saying most people love it - I know I do. So I started with that and my new found love of tofu in desserts. I made this for my Aunts, Candi and Laura. Candi said, "Oh my goodness, this is so hard not to eat really fast." And, "I'm not licking my plate, only because you're here." That's high praise in my book :) So I decided this one is ready for the blog.
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 1 12oz. package organic silken firm tofu
- 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c. natural almond butter
- 3 ripe bananas
Crust and Toppings:
- Your favorite graham cracker crust (Arrowhead Mills)
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/3 c. chopped raw almonds
1. Combine all filling ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Cut extra banana into slices and layer on top of crust
3. After pouring filling on top of bananas, sprinkle almonds on the top
4. Chill for at least an hour
Tip: I know it's so hard to wait, but this pie is great if you chill it for several hours or overnight. It gives the filling a chance to set up and you'll be able to serve it in "slice of pie" form. Or just eat it whenever you want, and it will be delicious no matter how it comes out of the pie tin!
