On a recent trip to Santiago, Chile, we discovered a vegan restaurant called Katako Veg which served up lots of delicious treats including loaded Mexican fries, homemade pizzas and a glorious selection of desserts (you can read about it here).
One such dessert was a vegan lemon cream pie. The last time I had enjoyed such a pie was on our honeymoon in the states where we visited a classic old-school diner outside Las Vegas that specialised in traditional cream pies. Since going vegan, cream pies appeared to be in hiding from every vegan menu I’d come across.
No more thanks to Katako Veg! The buttery pastry case had a tangy lemon filling and was topped with a silky smooth, gloriously thick whipped cream. It was really excellent and something I had to re-create with my own twist!
My lemon cream pies feature a deliciously flaky coconut pastry case filled with tangy, homemade lemon curd. They are topped with piped coconut cream and a sprinkling of candied coconut flakes. DREAMY!
A classic dessert transformed into an elegant dinner party treat. These little beauties are:
deliciously flaky on the outside
tangy and sweet on the inside
with a decadent coconut cream
and a sprinkling of crisp, candied coconut
I have no doubt that you will LOVE this recipe – be sure to tag me on Instagram when you make it @aveganvisit 🙂
The Video Recipe:
The idea for this recipe comes from the wonderful Katako Veg in Santiago, Chile. If you are in the area you must pay them a visit. Call in to see them at José Manuel Infante 618, Santiago, Chile or visit them at www.facebook.com/Katako.veg.
The Written Recipe:
Tangy Lemon Cream Pies with Candied Coconut Flakes
Ingredients
Whipped coconut cream:
- 400 g tin of full fat coconut milk (chilled overnight in the fridge (*see note))
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 85 g icing sugar
Coconut pastry case:
- 150 g plain flour
- 50 g icing sugar
- 20 g desiccated coconut
- 50 g vegetable shortening (**see note)
- 50 g dairy free margarine
- 1 tbsp water
Candied Coconut Chips:
- 60 g coconut flakes
- 2 tbsp coconut nectar
- ¼ tsp salt
Lemon curd:
- 230 ml dairy free cream
- 180 g agave syrup
- 180 ml fresh lemon juice (approx 3 lemons)
- 50 g cornflour
- 50 ml water
- ⅛ tsp turmeric
To decorate:
- small mint leaves
Equipment
- 10cm Fluted Mini Tart Tins
Instructions
To make the coconut cream topping:
- Put a mixing bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes before making the whipped coconut cream.
- Once the bowl has chilled, remove the coconut milk tin from the fridge and scoop out the hard layer of cream that should have formed at the top of the tin. Discard the clear liquid underneath.400 g tin of full fat coconut milk
- Place the coconut cream in the chilled mixing bowl, add the vanilla and sieve in the icing sugar.1 tsp vanilla extract, 85 g icing sugar
- Whip the mixture until it forms firm peaks, which should take around 10 minutes.
- Cover the bowl of coconut cream and pop it back in the fridge whilst you make your pastry cases.
To make the coconut pastry cases:
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, icing sugar and desiccated coconut) to a bowl and mix together.
- Add the vegetable shortening and margarine and rub briefly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.50 g vegetable shortening, 50 g dairy free margarine
- Add the water and bring the dough together into a smooth ball. If it is not coming together then add another tsp of water. Don’t overwork the dough.1 tbsp water
- Wrap your pastry or cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour to fully chill.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional / 375°F / gas mark 5) and set aside six 10cm / 4" non-stick individual pie/tart baking tins.
- Lightly flour a smooth surface and rolling pin.
- Roll the pastry out nice and thinly (around 1/4 cm or 1/8") and place over your pie dishes. Using a small ball of pastry wrapped in cling film, press the pastry case down gently so it sits neatly into the edges of each dish. Trim off the edges so there is no pastry overhanging.
- The desiccated coconut gives the pastry a slightly crumbly texture which is DELICIOUS. You may find it breaks or cracks as your roll it - don’t worry about this you can just press it into the dish instead and patch it up as necessary.
- Prick the base and sides of the case with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the pastry is just starting to colour and is cooked through.
- Once the pastry cases are baked, set them aside to cool completely and make your candied coconut and lemon curd.
To make the candied coconut:
- Preheat your oven to 150°C fan (170°C conventional / 325°F / gas mark 3) and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a re-usable baking sheet.
- Stir all of the ingredients together in a bowl and bake for 10 minutes.60 g coconut flakes, 2 tbsp coconut nectar, 1/4 tsp salt
- Leave to cool completely on the tray.
To make the lemon curd:
- In a small dish, mix together the cornflour and water. Set aside.50 g cornflour, 50 ml water
- Add the cream and agave to a saucepan and whisk together over a medium heat.230 ml dairy free cream, 180 g agave syrup
- Add the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time, continually whisking to ensure it combines without curdling.180 ml fresh lemon juice, 1/8 tsp turmeric
- Once all of the lemon juice is added to the saucepan, add the cornflour mixture and turmeric. Whisk together and simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened, stirring regularly.
- Taste and add more agave if you prefer your lemon curd to be sweeter.
- Add the warm lemon curd to your pastry cases, cover the top with cling film to prevent a skin from forming and put in the fridge to set for 1 hour until completely cool.
To decorate:
- When you’re ready to serve and your pies are fully cooled, pipe on a round or two of the coconut cream and sprinkle over the candied coconut. Finish off with a mint leaf or two for decoration.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Tara
Hi, I’m Tara! I’m taking you on a trip around the world in vegan cuisine and bringing the world’s most delicious dishes to your kitchen.
