Vegan Mini Apple Pies (Gluten Free Variation)

Recipe/ Vegan Mini Apple Pies (Gluten Free Variation)
Dietary Consideration/ Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Fat, Low Sugar (and delish!)

What's better than an apple pie you ask?!!?! Being able to eat the whole thing!

They really are not at all as hard as they look to make... Plus they are super delicious and impressive! See below for the recipes and step by step directions. Email me if you have any questions! Happy baking! Click here for my of my delicious and healthful recipes!

Baby you are the apple to my pie!

Vegan Mini Apple Pies/
Makes about 2 dozen 


Crust/ (or you can buy pre-made crust... that works too :D)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or use Bob's Mill Flour to make these gluten free)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 sticks of Earth Balance
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water


Filling/
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
Zest from 1 lemon
6 apples, such as Empire, Granny Smith, Gala, Cortland, Winesap, or a mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces for topping each mini pie before baking

Crust Preparation/
Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide in two. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten, and form two discs. Wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

Filling Preparation/
Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices; halve crosswise, and add to lemon juice (to keep them from turning brown) as you work. Add zest, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt; toss to combine.

Pie Preparation/
Preheat your oven to 400˚F and spray 2 muffin pans with Pam. Unroll your first pie crust and cut several circles out using a cookie cutter 1/2-inch larger than the muffin pan you are using. The dough will shrink when cooking. Continue this until you have enough crusts.

Line each cup of your muffin tin with a tiny pie crust and poke ventilation holes in each crust using a fork. Gently fill the crusts with your apple mixture and push the crusts down the rest of the way. Fill until slightly mounded. Now put a dab of extra earth balance on each pie. Cover as desired with left over dough or a lattice top like I did above. Brush with melted earth balance and bake at 400 for 18 to 22 minutes. ENJOY!

Gluten Free & Vegan Apricot Coconut Power Bars

Recipe/  Gluten Free & Vegan Apricot Coconut Power Bars
Dietary Consideration/ Gluten Free, Vegan, Dairy Free, Low Fat, Sugar Free (and tasty!)

Gluten Free & Vegan Apricot Coconut Power Bars
Yield: 8 bars 

Ingredients/
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons earth balance
3 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions/
Line a 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. Place cashews in a food processor and process until nuts are evenly chopped, set aside. Put dried apricots in the food processor and process for 3-4 minutes to finely chop. Add coconut, oats, agave syrup, earth balance, sesame seeds, flax seeds, ginger and salt. Process until mixture comes together. Add the chopped cashews and pulse until well combined.

Pour the mixture in the parchment lined baking pan and firmly press into pan. Cover the bars and place in a freezer for one hour. Unmold bars, trim ends and cut into even rectangles. Bars will last up to one month in an airtight bag or container.

NOTE: Feel free to experiment with different nuts, toppings and flavors! ENJOY!

Gluten & Dairy Free Black Cherry French Macarons (with Vegan Buttercream Recipe)

Market Recipe/  Gluten & Dairy Free Black Cherry French Macarons
Dietary Consideration/ Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Fat (and tasty!)

Gluten & Dairy Free Black Cherry French Macarons
Yield: About 15
with help from David Lebovitz

Macaron Batter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup ground almonds
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 drop of mauve food coloring
1/4 teaspoon cherry extract
10 tablespoons granulated sugar


Black Cherry Filling/
Vegan Buttercream (see below)
Cherry Preserves
Black Food Coloring

Directions/
Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch). Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond flour in a food processor so there are no lumps.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites (with the whisk attachment) and the pinch of salt until they begin to rise and hold their shape. Add extract and coloring and continue to whip. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.

Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass). Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles, evenly spaced. Bang the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 10-15 minutes. Let cool  completely then remove from baking sheet.

Building the Macarons/
Pipe a bit of the filling on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. Let them stand at least one day before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.


Gluten Free & Vegan Buttercream
Makes: 4 cups

Ingredients/
1 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute of your choosing)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain soy milk

Directions/
Beat the Earth Balance until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and soy milk, and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy. (For Black cherry filling: add 1/4 cup pureed cherry preserves and 2 drops of black food coloring or until desired color is reached.) Add more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too thin, or more soy milk if too thick.