Sunday, October 26, 2014

Nourishing Gluten Free Pumpkin Torte



As we get ready for our annual Thanksgiving festivities we begin planing the menu. Several of our friends are gluten intolerant so I came up with a great choice to replace our usual Pumpkin Pie option. I hope you try this recipe as I am sure it will be pleasing to all. 

And remember, let us give thanks daily and know that this recipe doesn't need a holiday to be served... 

Blessings to all! 

Shell:

3 Cups of Organic Raw Walnuts or Pecans 
1 ½ Cups of Pitted Medjool Dates 
¼ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Vanilla Powder 
Pinch of Sea Salt

Filling:
4 Cups Winter Squash of your choice steamed and chilled in fridge
2 TBL of Agar~Agar cooked into ¼ cup of Coconut Milk
2 TBL Kudzu or Arrowroot Powder blended into 4 Tablespoons of cold water and cooked into the Coconut Milk mixture 
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
¼ cup Maple Syrup
Pinch of Sea Salt 

Garnish:
Either chopped Walnuts or Pecans depending upon your choice of nuts for your pie shell 
Dried Cranberries (fruit juice sweetened)

Method for Shell:
Blend all the Pie Crust Ingredients in a Cuisinart
Pulsing first then blending together till you have a ball of “dough”
Press into your Springform Pan (see notes below)
Be sure to press gently up the sides to form a shell to fill
I like to start with the bottom pressing my way out and up 
Making sure it is even and has a perfect finish at the top of the shell 
Use a smooth edge if you need support as you finish off the top of the shell 
Chill in Fridge for 1 hour 

Method for Filling:
Place chilled Squash, Spices, Salt, Vanilla and Maple Syrup in Cuisinart 
Blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides with a spatula if necessary 
After these ingredients are thoroughly blended add your cooked Coconut Milk and Agar/Kuzu or Arrowroot mixture
Whip together in the Cuisinart and Spoon into your Pie Shell 
Smooth out top with a clean spatula 
Chill for 1 hour and then garnish

Notes:
An 8 inch Springform Baking Pan with the sides oiled and lined with parchment paper was my choice.
Or an oiled fluted tart shell with a push out bottom is also lovely.
For my Squash, I chose Kabocha but I also like using Butternut.
I used fresh dried dates found in the produce section at my local co-op. The were so moist I didn’t need to soak them.
Powdered Vanilla can be found in your local co-op bulk herb and spice section.
Some people like adding Allspice to their pie filling. I omitted it as I prefer a more delicate flavor.
Why Sea Salt as an ingredient in dessert? Adding that bit of salt enhances the sweet flavors and elevates the taste.

ENJOY!

Photography and Taste Testing by my Beloved, Steven Carl Gold