This Vegan Pecan Pie tastes just like the
traditional pie momma-used-to-make, except this pie has a secret ingredient:
cold brew coffee! The cold brew is added to the crust to provide a subtle richness
and coffeehouse aroma that can’t be found in a traditional crust. The sweet pecan filling
is warm, flavorful, and rich. A cup of coffee and a slice of pie and you
have yourself a winning combination that will satisfy any guest at your holiday
table.
Hello, friends.
When I think of
the holidays back home, I think of my families old-as-dirt Christmas tree that
Father had when he was a kid, its flimsy branches holding up the lights and
various handmade ornaments. The wonky treestand at the base holding all of
it together. I think of the whole family coming together, lounging in the living room to watch a Charlie
Brown Christmas, attending candlelight church service on Christmas Eve, and opening
gifts on Christmas morning. The holidays to me are a time where I can get back
in the kitchen with Momma Crawford and bake whatever my little food blogging
heart desires. Her at the stove and me rolling out crust on the counter. We
talk, laugh, sing along to Christmas music, and simply enjoy each other’s
company. For this post, I’m inspired by family tradition once again. In my family,
we always had a pecan pie for dessert after the Christmas dinner. So I’m back
at it again this week with both a vegan AND cold brew coffee inspired recipe,
and this time things are about to get nuts (get
it…nuts…pecans…never mind). I’ve done one other vegan recipe on the blog and I really enjoyed it. That’s why I’m working
with Califia Farms again to develop
this recipe that you wouldn’t even know was vegan.
Little known fact: I love croissants!
They’re just the better-looking older sibling of the yeast dough family. A warm
croissant with a thin layer of butter, a cup of coffee, and a good book, and
you have my idea of paradise (or a
perfect Sunday afternoon). With Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks, I have
teamed with Califia Farmsto bring
you a sweet, chocolatey treat which is just the thing to get you through the
holiday's emotionally sane. I’m talking about two things: coffee and chocolate.
If you follow my Instagram, you know
that I am obsessed with coffee. So, when Califia asked me to develop a recipe
with their Black Label Cold Brew, my imagination started racing with possibilities and I knew I needed to get back in the kitchen ASAP. Originally
for this recipe, I set out to make a
savory ‘cold brew coffee croissant’, adding the cold brew into the dough, with
an expresso chocolate butter as a sweet element on the side, but the first
batch of croissants sadly failed. Feeling bad about myself, I tightened my
apron, did some research, and went back into the kitchen for take number two. I decided that I wanted to
create a hybrid between croissants and Eva’s
chocolate swirled brioche buns because too much chocolate is never a bad thing,
right?!
A few weeks ago, I
accepted a spring internship as one of the product photographers for Rosalynne Love, a growing graphic design
& apparel company based out of the New Orleans-area. I found out about the
position through a Facebook post by her sister Alisa (who is a local photographer/friend!) I thought it would be a unique
and exciting opportunity, so I sent in an application and hoped for the best. A
few days later I got an email from Ros saying she wanted to have a Skype
interview. Just minutes after starting the interview, I knew I was going to
love working for her. Ros has such a drive and creative spirit about her that I
saw within myself. Her talent mixed with her enthusiasm had me sold, so when I
was offered the position, I immediately said yes!
This cover has been my current music obsession for a while now. It's been on repeat most of the week. If you are unaware of the musical genius that is Twenty-One Pilots, you need to educate yourself, because they are the best. Plus, it seemed fitting for the post.
Momma
Crawford and Father celebrated their 30th anniversary this past
week. To commemorate the milestone, I decided to make a special family dinner
with all the showstoppers set in place. Freshly fried chicken, seasoned mashed
potatoes, cheddar butter biscuits (side note: these little dollops of heaven
taste identical to the ones from 'Red
Lobster'. Recipe for those coming soon) and, for dessert, old fashioned
coffee cake with a cold brew icing. It was a night of laughs, talks of the past, and true,
down-home comfort cookin'.
When
making this dinner, I was reminded of all the life lessons my parents have
taught me through the years about life, love, and happiness. From the funny
memories to the heartfelt words of wisdom that will last a life time, I
reminisced about it all. My parents have bestowed much elderly grace upon Jon
and I over the years. From how to drive, how to put out both an oven and grill
fire, how to laugh at ourselves, reasons to value good friends, and always
remember to believe in ourselves. Twenty years is a long time for learning and
growing and every moment has been worth it. Happy
Anniversary Momma Crawford and Father with many more to come!
Now
back to coffee cake. I won the book Huckleberryand two other cookbooksfrom
Chronicle Book’s for their “The Great Tumblr Book Search” contest a few months
back. Flipping through the pages, everything looked divine. From the variety of
teacakes, breads, cobblers, crumbles, entrees, and side dishes, my mouth was
watering and I wanted to try them all, but I was skeptical. It wasn’t until I read
a post by Thalia from Butter and Brioche,
where she made an adaptation to the book’s Fresh
Blueberry Brioche recipe, before
I knew I had to experiment. I went with my gut and made some brioche bread.
What I was in for was the best bread I’ve ever tasted. More about my brioche
experience on my French toast post here. In a short and sweet phrase, I
was hooked. I had become a full-on fanatic for Huckleberry. Though I wanted to
put my fangirling to the test. Was Huckleberry
all it was cracked up to be or just a one-hit-wonder?
In
the words of Jon, “This is the best cake
I’ve ever had. Period.” I’ve had some pretty outstanding cakes in my life, but
this cake was definitely one to beat. It was warm, buttery, and rich. Its
texture was a bit on the denser side, but still had a lightness to it. From the
sweetness of the sugar, to the boldness of the butter, while rounding out
beautifully with the cold brew icing, this cake was filled to the brim with
outrageous flavor combinations and textures. The sugared walnuts gave the cake
a nice added crunch without overpowering the cakes softness. That cake had a sonorous
effect on the entire family. It was quickly devoured in a matter of days, it
was that delicious. In the spirit of coffee cake, I knew I had to add something
coffee. With heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and cold brew, I decided to
make a simple icing drizzle for the top of the cake right before serving. The
dark roasted flavors of the coffee and the sweetness of the sugar were the
perfect combinations to take this coffee cake to the next level.
Pre-step: I would feel bad about
eating this cake, but today is my cheat day. In all honesty, every day is my
cheat day (that can be our little secret).
To make the crumble: In a medium
bowl, combine the butter, all-purpose flour, almond meal, sugar, and salt.
Using your hands or a pastry cutter, combine the ingredients together until
everything is well combined and moistened. Allow a few small bits of butter to
remain. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
To make the streusel: In a food
processor, combine the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon and pulse until the walnuts
are ground, but not becoming a paste. Set aside.
To make the cake: position a
rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 350°F/180°C. Line and grease a 10-in
round cake pan or spring form pan. Use butter to lightly grease the pan and use
parchment paper to line the pan for the best results.
With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment,
cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy
and the sugar begins to dissolve into the butter. Incorporate the vanilla and stir in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour,
almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sour cream. Mix carefully, just
until all combined. Do not overmix! If over-mixed, the batter will become tough.
Scoop half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it with a small
offset spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the batter. Top
with the rest of the batter, coaxing it into covering the streusel layer. Top
with the crumble. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until fully baked through. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
Tip: Test if the cake is done by sticking a toothpick in the center, if it comes out
dry, the cake is finished. If it comes out wet or with chunks of batter, bake
in 5 minute intervals until a clean toothpick is achieved. Never pull the cake out of the oven until
completely baked. Taking the cake out of the oven before it is completely set may deactivate the rising agents in the batter and the cake will fall.
Place a flat plate on top of the cake and pan. Carefully invert the cake
onto the plate by flipping both upside down. Then lift the pan off the cake.
Gently pull the parchment paper away from the cake. Rest the serving plate on
the bottom of the cake and turn the cake right-side up onto the plate.
To make the icing: in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, and cold brew coffee. Stir with a fork to combine. Drizzle over the top of the cake before serving.
