When my husband, Tyson, and I started dating I told him that I could make a tasty raw pie. I have to admit that I was trying to impress him. I put out the bait, and he fell for it. Raw pies are made from nuts, dates, spices, berries, etc. They are not cooked in the oven, hence they are raw.
Well, fast forward 5 1/2 years, and Tyson loves to say how he's never tasted my raw pie. I haven't felt the desire to make one since leaving Kauai where mangoes were my muse. About a month ago we were at Whole Foods and they had mangoes on sale. I was inspired, so we came home and I went to work. In the end I made a mango, chia seed, and blueberry pie that was dynamite! After eating the pie, my sister said she wanted a raw pie for her birthday, which was two weeks ago. Well, I'm a slacker and I didn't quite make it. However, I did pull it together, and yesterday the masterpiece pictured above was created. I think it's my best one to date. The family also gives a unanimous two thumbs up!
The recipe:
Soak 2 cups almonds about 6 hours
In a food processor combine the almonds with the following:
4-6 dates
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt (the good stuff)
sprinkle of cinnamon
2 tbl raw cacao powder
2 tbl coconut oil
Blend until chunky-smooth. You need to be able to work it into a pie plate. If you want, you can lightly grease the pie plate with coconut oil. Press the mixture you just made into the pie plate and shape it.
Filling:
Choose the fruit you LOVE!
The pie above was made with
1 1/2 cups or so of blueberries
4 cups or so of strawberries
Cut up the strawberries into quarters and combine with the blueberries in a bowl, mash it all together until slightly worked. Add 3 tbl of chia seeds and stir. Let this set in the bowl for about 15 minutes and then scoop it into the pie plate. Allow the whole pie to rest for about an hour. If you live somewhere really warm put it in the fridge. Eat with pleasure and gratitude.
Have an awesome week and let your light shine, shine, shine.
