I am Grateful Live Coconut Cream Pie
In our household, the World’s Best Dad Award goes to my husband whose devotion to his son proves that dads can do just about anything. He loves coconut, so we are making him this Live Coconut Cream Pie for tonight’s Father’s Day Dinner. It is heavenly and raw with a pure, healthy goodness to show Dad just how much we love him.
As a Summer Opener, Father’s Day comes just as the weather is heating up. At this time, Mother Nature lovingly, knowingly, provides the refreshment we need. Her seasonal harvest, including cucumbers, summer squash, melons, berries and herbs like dill, mint and cilantro, is balancing and cooling.
For its chill factor and numerous other benefits, Coconut, grown in the hot tropics where it is practically always summer, is that perfect hot season food. Offering sweet, healthy hydration to restore moisture, minerals and electrolytes, coconut is so delicious and so perfect for humans it has even been used in I.V. drips.
Coconut Meat and Water make this Pie Perfect
This recipe comes from Cafe Gratitude’s I Am Grateful Recipe book by Terces Engelhart, which I so gratefully received from a friend. If there is one raw food recipe book to have, for me it is this one. Along with great recipes it is filled with techniques, inspiration, and a fabulous Resource list at the back.
With only a few dates to sweeten and a bit of spice, this Live Coconut Cream Pie is almost all coconut, making it a great reason to eat dessert and celebrate Dad all summer long!
LIVE COCONUT CREAM PIE
For The Crust
2 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
Heaping 1/4 cup well packed, finely chopped dates
For The Filling
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup coconut meat
Heaping 3/4 cup well-packed, finely chopped dates
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 pinches of salt
3 tablespoons lecithin
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons raw coconut butter (I used a mix of coconut oil and coconut manna)
I added a dash of Cardamom too, to aid digestion deliciously.
Garnish
3/4 cup dry coconut flakes
I toasted half the flakes and once cool, mixed in with the raw flakes so it created a lovely dapple of gold, caramel and snow white sprinkle over the pie. It is not technically raw, unless you toast at a very low heat, very slowly, but worth it to me for the color and crunch.
To Make the Crust
Put coconut flakes, salt, and vanilla in your food processor and process, adding small amounts of dates until it gets sticky. Press crust into a greed (with coconut butter/oil) 9-inch pie pan.
To Make the Filling
Blend coconut milk, meat, date, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add lecithin and coconut butter and blend until well incorporated. Pour into prepared crust. Set in fridge/freezer until set (about an hour). Top with thin layer of coconut flakes.
I Am Grateful’s Live Coconut Cream Pie
We made this pie yesterday for the South Park Old House Street Fair, where it was gobbled up before you could say, “Look at the detail on that charming Craftsman Bungalow!”
The Coconut Cream Pie was served by the Urban Gourmet folks who were there to let locals know about their imminent opening at 30th and Fern. I’ll have some of my “Dancing Plums” specialty foods there ~ things like Organic Split Mung Beans, Ayurvedic Herbal Jam, Detox Protein Shake Mix and weekly Raw Pies. I’ll let you know when it opens as I am sure we will celebrate with more Live Coconut Cream Pie.
Dancing Plums is named in memory of my father George L. Plumb
Once Dancing Plums is launched, I look forward to posting with many more simple ideas for keeping cool, strong, and elegantly at ease all summer long. I am also looking forward to my next Ayurvedic Nutrition and Cooking Class for August 7th. Lots of bubbly ideas and new inventions for that! Details are on the website.
Meanwhile, I wish you a bountiful summer of nourishing food, love and lazy days.
Namaste!
Yum! I love coconut sooo much. As the weather heats up in DC I drink coconut water almost daily.
Are you going to be selling any of your protein mixes or jams online or can I order through Urban Gourmet? How great you are branching out with your gifts! Wishing you abundance with your new business!
Love,
Pamela
Thanks, Pamela. I will make the products available online for shipping. In fact, can do even now. Email me and let me know what interests you.
Happy Summer ~
Lots of love,
Laura
Coconut Cream is my all time favourite too! Your husband has great taste in pies and in people!
MIles may be in LA this summer, so can you email me some tel numbers for you. My facebook is refusing me so it’s back to basics and using emails.
Hug you Laura Dancing Plum,
KatieKate
oxo
KatieKate,
Yes my husband’s good taste was an early attractor 😉
More importantly, we must see Miles if he is to be so close. Please let him know that Coronado is infinitely cooler than anything in OC or LA. Heck, we’ll even make him a Live Coconut Cream Pie!
More via “back-to-basics” email.
LOL
Laura
Hi Laura,
This looks wonderful. I’m sure you had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating with Bhava and Morgan. I love the Dancing Plums picture. The plums are so enticing.
Love you, Mom
Thanks, Mom! I’ll bring you some jam for your birthday, which I learned to make, btw, from your Mom 😉
Dear Laura,
I have the I am Grateful book too! I’m going to give this Coconut Pie a whirl, and add a dash of cardamom to invoke your beautiful presence! Best wishes with Dancing Plums, such a sweet new business name…
Love, Sally
Dear Sally,
Of course you have the I AM Grateful book. You are such a gorgeous expression of gratitude in every way. I love your recipes and look forward to more soon.
Thank you ~
Laura
Laura! How exciting! I cannot wait to buy your jam at Urban Gourmet! You just keep making my life better & better all the time. 🙂
To serve one who serves so many is an honor and a joy! Thank you 😉
YUM! I want to be your husband ;} I’m so happy, as an alternative, that we can soon buy your delicacies at Urban Gourmet! Keep us posted… I’m salivating for the coconut cream pie.
I’ll make it again soon and will share!
Oooh, I want to order a pie for my mum’s birthday! I will email. Thank you for sharing your silky, creamy love for the taste buds!
This amazing pie was gobbled up so quickly at The Old House Fair and for good reason! It was hot out and this raw pie was a healthy & refreshing option to the masses that were enjoying a hot summer day in South Park. The responses I got when I shared with every one that it was a raw vegan pie, was one of shock. How could something so tasty and divine be good for you? Like Laura stated, mother nature just has her way….
Thank you again for bringing the pie to the fair and allowing me to give it out as samples. It really was a rejuvenating option for everyone. Not to mention how excited every one was to know that you will be carrying your Dancing Plum line with The Urban Gourmet!
We’re so blessed to have you and all your wonderful wisdom xoxoxo
Amanda
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