Rocky Road Caramel Drumstick Pie (Vegan)

~ Inspired by the nostalgia of caramel drumsticks and rocky road desserts, I half-hazardly combined the two in this vegan adaptation. ~

Graham Cracker Crust

1.5 cup finely ground gluten free graham crackers

1/3 cup coconut sugar

a pinch of salt

8 tbsp coconut oil

Mix together and press into a glass backing dish.

Bake for 7m @ 375 degrees.  Then let it cool.

Melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips in a double boiler.  Line the cooled crust and then place in the freezer to solidify.  This is to mimic the drumstick cone chocolate coating. 

Coconut Cream Filling

160 ml coconut cream

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder

3 tbsp agave

Almond Butter Caramel

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup agave (maple syrup would have been optimal but I was out.)

2 tbsp coconut oil

Toppings

Drizzle with almond butter caramel and top with vegan marshmallows, chopped, unsalted peanuts and shredded dark chocolate.

Aloe Jelly Bubble Tea

After my aloe plant fell over today, accidentally breaking off some fleshy leaf offerings, I wanted to try something different.

Strawberry Bubble Tea with Aloe Jelly

1 aloe vera leaf, peeled and cubed (Lu Hui)

1/2 a small lime

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1 cup of cold fruity tea (I used Teavana Strawberry Cream)

3-4 ice cubes

• Brew one cup of fruity tea and set aside or in the fridge to cool.
• Peel aloe, cut into cubes and place in a pot with the juice of 1/2 a lime and 1 tbsp of coconut sugar. 
• Let it simmer until the liquid has evaporated or absorbed into the aloe leaf cubes. 
• Place aloe cubes in the bottom of a clear glass.  Add cooled tea and ice.
• Enjoy!

Pu’erh Bubble Tea with Aloe Jelly

1 cup or pu’erh tea (brewed for 7m)(let cool)

1.5 tsp of honey

1 aloe vera leaf, peeled and cubed (Lu Hui)

3-4 ice cubes

A dash of almond/soy/hemp milk (the nature of almond or hemp milk might look kind of chunky, but it’s still just as tasty)

• Brew one cup of pu’erh tea for 7m 
• Add honey, let dissolve and set aside or in the fridge to cool.
• Peel aloe, cut into cubes and place in a pot on medium heat to absorb some of the liquid. * You can sweeten this with coconut sugar or honey as well but I wanted this recipe to be less sweet.
• Place aloe cubes in the bottom of a clear glass.  Add cooled tea and ice with a dash of milk and enjoy!

** Don’t make the same mistake as me and be sure to cut your aloe small enough to fit through a boba straw. :P **

Rosemary Cardamom Kumquat Tarts

These little beauties are tart with a pinch of savoury and sweet.  

The perfect transition from winter into spring/summer flavours.  

Rosemary Cardamom Tart Shells

1.5 cup Soaked Cashews

1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder

6 cardamom pods (extract seeds and blend in a spice blender)

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

4 dates

Kumquat Cashew Filling

3/4 cup seeded kumquats

12 tbsp water

4 dates

1/2 cup soaked cashews

White Chocolate Top Layer

1 cup cacao butter

2 tbsp coconut sugar( I used 2 tbsp honey but it separated when solidified)

A dash of grey sea salt

Candied Kumquats

8 kumquats

2 tbsp water

A pinch of vanilla bean powder

1.5 tbsp honey

Prep 2 cups of cashews the night before by soaking them in water in the fridge.  If you’ve forgotten, an hour or 2 before of soaking will do, if you have a high speed blender.  

Dry off your cashews with a fresh dish cloth.  Place 1.5 cups of cashews in a food processor with the rest of the crust ingredients.  Blend until smooth and press into silicone muffin tins or paper wrappers.  Place in the freezer.

Slice 3/4 cups of kumquats in half and remove seeds.  Place in a blender with the last of the cashews (1/2 cup), 12 tbsp of water to thin it out and 4 dates to cut the tartness. Blend until smooth.  The mixture should still be quite thick but at a touch more water if it’s not blending.  Fill the tart shells leaving a bit of room at the top and rerun to the freezer.

For the white chocolate layer, melt in a pot over low heat with coconut sugar and sea salt.  Let it cool slightly but not so much so that it starts to solidify again.  Pour over frozen tarts and return to the freezer.

Slice kumquats into wheel shapes and de-seed.  In the meantime, in a small pot, allow water, honey and vanilla to come to a boil.  One it’s boiling, add the fruit and bring it back up to a boil.  Then reduce to a simmer for 10m.  Remove from the stove and allow to cool before placing in a glass dish with the syrup in the fridge. 

Once the white chocolate layer is solidified, remove from their silicone tart shells and top with candied kumquats.  These tarts can then be stored in the fridge.  

Makes about 9 tarts

Could easily be made into a cake as well, using a spring form pan.

Takes ridiculously too long to make.