TOOTHSOME TOFU PIES
Recipes for apricot tofu pie, banana-coconut tofu pie, orange tofu pie, carob-almond tofu pie, including crust, filling glaze.
by Paula Szilard
RELATED CONTENT
Barley has twice as much of the cholesterol-lowering fiber as highly touted oats, and it’s tasty an...
A Plowboy Interview with Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One Straw Revolution, and a proponent of n...
Country Lore: Japanese Beetles Make Great Fish Food Feed Japanese beetles to your pond fish. June/J...
Learning the Oriental traditions of heat retention and Western applications, including floor heater...
RUN YOUR DIESEL ON SOYABEAN OIL September/October 1979 Michael Brown (the author of Brown's Alcohol...
At a time when almost everyone seems to be borrowing ideas
from Japan, is it possible that the people of that nation
could learn something from us? You bet it is! For
centuries, you see, the Japanese (and other Orientals) have
prepared tofu—the inexpensive soybean food that's low
in calories and saturated fats, free of cholesterol, rich
in vitamins and minerals, and high in protein—in
essentially the same ways. Without a doubt, many of those
traditional recipes are good tasting as well as nutritious
. . . but they're not the last word on tofu
cuisine. In less than a decade, Americans have adapted tofu
to the Western palate . . . and Occidental cooks have
really pioneered the development of a number of tofu
desserts. The creations include a mouth-watering array of
pies, cheesecakes, puddings, cakes, cookies, delicate
pastries, and even ice creams!
Tofu—which can range from a soft, pudding-like
consistency to one that resembles pressed
cheese—lends itself especially well to pies of all
descriptions. Five of my favorites are presented here, each
of which calls for a baked crumb or nut crust and an
unbaked filling. I whip up the fillings in my food
processor (though you could use a blender or a mixer . . .
see the sidebar on blending techniques) and quickly gel
them, using powdered agar, another oriental import (you'll
find more information about agar in an accompanying
sidebar). And as for the taste of these delectable
concoctions . . . well, you'll just have to find out for
yourself. Try one or two of these recipes . . . and
celebrate the Western culinary imagination.
What better way is there to herald summer than with a cool,
fruit-laden dessert? To make the crust for this pie, break
the graham crackers into small pieces and add them to the
work bowl of your food processor, along with the other dry
ingredients. Process the mixture until the crackers are
finely ground, then—with the machine still
running—add the oil and honey. Press the mixed
"dough" into a wellgreased 9-1/2" pie pan, coating first
the sides and then the bottom, and bake the shell in a
preheated 375°F oven for about 8 minutes, or until the
edges turn slightly brown.
While the crust is baking and cooling, you can put together
the pie's filling. First, cook the dried apricots in 1-1/2
cups of water until they're soft but not mushy. Take out
the nine most attractive pieces to save for decorating the
top of the pie. Now, continue simmering the remaining
halves until all the water is taken up. Next, process the
fruit until it's smooth, then blend in the tofu and vanilla
extract. (If your machine has a small work bowl, you'll
need to mix the tofu in two batches and then use an
electric or rotary beater to combine them.) After setting
the fruitladen pudding aside, pour the remaining cup of
water and the honey into a small saucepan, mix them well,
and then sprinkle the powdered agar over the sweet liquid.
Let the gelling agent soften for a minute, bring the
mixture to a rolling boil, and cook it for 30 seconds. When
the time's up, remove the agar liquid from the heat and
allow it to cool for 5 to 8 minutes. Then—with the
food processor running—slowly pour the agar blend
into the tofu-apricot pudding, and mix the ingredients for
a few seconds. Let the filling set up in the refrigerator
for 15 to 20 minutes, then briefly process it again until
it's soft and creamy. Pour the filling into the cooled pie
shell and chill the dessert until it's firm.
While the pie is setting up, rescue those set-aside apricot
halves and—in a small saucepan—combine them
with a few drops of almond extract and a tablespoon each of
honey and water. (You may substitute 1 tablespoon of white
wine, or the same measure of peach or apricot brandy, for
the almond extract and water.) Garnish the pie with the
glazed apricots and place a few mint leaves alongside the
fruit for added color. This mouth-watering dessert tastes
every bit as good as it looks!
Page: 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Next >>