Day 8: Blueberry Pie and Tofu Whipped Topping from The Joy of Vegan Baking
Have you ever had a bunch of ingredients to use up in your fridge and a magical recipe appears in your life that uses up all of those ingredients? This is what happened to me tonight as I was looking through Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s The Joy of Vegan Baking. It was a busy day at work, and since I had plans to go out for dinner I knew two things: that tonight’s recipe was going to be a dessert and that I definitely did not want to have to stop at the grocery store before coming home. I had lots of berries, a lemon, and a store-bought pie crust - all in perfect amounts for the pie, and the tofu whipped topping sounded like an interesting way to use up the rest of the package of silken tofu that was in my fridge from yesterday.
I’ve written about the impact of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s books and speeches here before, and I highly recommend her books to anyone who is considering veganism. Her clear, positive, and logical approach to explaining and defending veganism really resonates with me. I haven’t explored her recipes as much, though I have made the oatmeal cookies and brownies from The Joy of Vegan Baking a few times with great results.
This blueberry pie became a mixed berry pie when I made it, though it was still mostly blueberries. The tartness of the added raspberries along with the lemon zest and lemon juice added a lovely flavor to the blueberries. I let it cool for only about an hour because I couldn’t wait any longer. I think as it sits overnight the consistency will firm up a bit. This is a wonderful berry pie that I will definitely make again. As far as the tofu whipped topping, it had a pleasant flavor and creaminess that complemented the pie well. It’s not really whipped - more like a yogurt/pudding texture - but it certainly gets the job done on a fruity dessert. I could see it pairing well with fresh fruit, more like a parfait.
