06.11.2009 ‘scuse me while the bubbles of champagne find their way out my nose

The book, it is out! And it is available for order from Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe, Vegan Essentials, or Amazon!

After about a year of hard (but fun) work with the coolest partner a gal could ask for, we (and you) finally get to discover the fruit of our labor. And we happen to think, it was really worth it. We hope you do too. We have several book signings and even a book release party in the works, but we’ll tell you more about it all when the time for such events comes closer.

To celebrate the release of the book, here is a delicious recipe taken from it, for a sinful-tasting pie that actually isn’t even too bad for you.

You will get to choose between two versions for the topping: both are easy to make and delicious, the second one is simply ready even faster, if you’re a wee bit lazy. If you use agave nectar in the filling, be sure to set a lower oven temperature [325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3)], since the nectar browns up more quickly.

I realize that some people are going to be surprised with the use of NOT silken tofu, but believe me and those who tested and loved this recipe: it fits like a Ritz here. And if you’d like, enjoy the unbaked mousse on its own (just forget about the baking powder), and be very, very happy indeed.

Chocolate Graham Cracker for Crust

1/2 cup (112 g) nondairy butter
2 tablespoons (42 g) agave nectar
1/4 cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (145 g) white whole wheat flour, plus extra to lightly dust dough while rolling out
1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C, or gas mark 3). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, such as Silpat.
With an electric mixer, cream together butter, agave, and sugar, until light and fluffy. This should take about 4 minutes.
Sift flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl on top of the butter mixture, and combine.
Place the resulting dough on the prepared cookie sheet, patting it down into a disk.
Dust with a little extra flour; roll out to about 1/4-inch (6-mm) thickness.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, but start checking a bit sooner to make sure it doesn’t get overdone. Let cool for at least one hour on the cookie sheet.
Break into shards, blend into a fine powder in food processor.
Follow the guidelines in the recipe you need the crumbs for.

Yield: Enough to make one 9-inch (23-cm) crust

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with Candied Nuts and Chocolate Ganache

For the crust:
1 recipe Chocolate Graham Cracker, broken into shards
2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil or 2 tablespoons (28 g) nondairy butter, softened
2 tablespoons (28 g) packed light brown sugar
Pinch fine sea salt

For the mousse:
12 ounces (340 g) firm or extra firm regular tofu, drained, and patted dry
1/2 cup (120 g) nondairy sour cream or soy yogurt
1 cup (256 g) creamy no-stir sweetened peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup or (112 g) agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the topping:
3/4 cup (114 g) granulated or finely chopped peanuts
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon (14 g) nondairy butter
2 tablespoons (28 g) packed light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup
Pinch fine sea salt

For the quicker topping:
1/2 cup (76 g) granulated or finely chopped peanuts
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon (21 g) agave nectar

For the chocolate ganache:
1/4 cup (60 ml) plain soy or other nondairy milk
1/2 cup (88 g) nondairy semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure maple syrup or (21 g) agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round baking pan with spray.

To make the crust: Blend the graham cracker shards in food processor until finely ground. Add oil or butter, sugar, and salt. Pulse until combined.
Press firmly at the bottom of the pan.

To make the mousse: Combine all ingredients in food processor, and blend until perfectly smooth, scraping sides occasionally.
Pour mousse into the crust. Level with a spatula.

To make the quick topping: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, cook on medium heat until the liquid reduces, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. The nuts will darken slightly, just be careful not to let them burn.
Let cool.

To make the quicker topping: Combine peanuts and cinnamon, stir in agave.
Sprinkle either topping evenly upon filling.

Bake for 20 minutes, or 25 minutes if using agave as a sweetener.
Place the pie, still in the pan, on a wire rack to cool, and freeze once completely cooled for an easier time slicing.

To make the ganache: You can either decorate with the ganache when taking the pie out of the freezer, or upon serving.
Scorch the milk in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chips, and stir until melted. Stir in maple syrup or agave nectar. Drizzle on top of the whole pie or on each individual slice.

Thaw the pie out for about 1 hour in the fridge before enjoying.

Yield: One 9-inch (23-cm) pie