MAPLE PECAN COCONUT CREAM PIE

The pie is luscious, just sweet enough, and superbly nutty… a little like… me? :O 

I’ve enrolled for yet another term at university. Who knows how long I will keep attending. At this point, I suspect I am in a position to compete for Who Took The Longest To Get A Bachelors. I do enjoy the experience though, and I always eager to keep expanding my perspectives and understandings of this weird world. I study history, and find it totally vital to properly conceptualizing my reality. I especially find it essential to interrogate normative views on gender, race, class, language, religion, and the like. Such unequal power structures developed under colonialism are still operating today, albeit in stealth mode. We MUST dismantle such structures if we might ever hope to build a world in which all participants are actually treated as the humans they are.

I’m finally sorting out a kind of longer term plan for my next few years. Once I finish school, I will acquire a vehicle (and a driver’s license…) and hit the road. I want to get out of the city for a period longer than just a few weeks. So I will find a modest dwelling (cabin, collective house, apartment…) in the woods or a small town and lay low, working, meditating, gardening, listening to music, writing, drawing, reading. After this phase, the plan is up in the air. I feel both that I could go down a great number of paths and find happiness, but am also paralyzed by the abundance of opportunity. Needless to say, this is a Privileged Problem if ever there was one. For now: I am trying to find sacred moments in each day, rest when I need to (most of the time, tbh) and practice ~ self-compassion and non-judgement ~ ! Dealing with depression and anxiety is sooo much easier when I remember I don’t need to shame myself about the experience (Re: Buddhism’s “second arrow” teaching).

Thank you to all of you who actually read my posts. I am eternally grateful. I also super appreciate your emails and comments reminding me not only am I not alone out here, but in fact, in community with the most wonderful humans. Genuinely wishing each and every one of you a safe and comfortable week, and perhaps a magical moment or two. Let’s eat pie and love ourselves unconditionally!

P.S. A little update: I have finally updated my email service provider to MailChimp. They’re great, but they’re also pretty pricey. So, if I see enough of an increase engagement to make it worth it, I’m looking forward to continuing to email you through their service. It’s WAY better. In other words: please click stuff on my blog! Read it! Stay a while. 😉 xo

MAPLE PECAN COCONUT CREAM PIE

Crust:

1/2 cup pecans

1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2-3 tablespoons almond milk

Filling:

2 cups full-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup shredded coconut 

1/4 cup pecans

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

Whipped cream:

Topping:

1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted

1/2 cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted

To make the crust: preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a pie or tart pan with parchment paper, tin foil, or coconut oil. Grind the oats, coconut and pecans into a rough flour in a food processor. Add the other ingredients and process until you have a dough that hold its shape when pressed between two fingers. If it’s too dry, add more almond milk in small increments. Press into your pie or tart pan, and poke the bottom with a fork so you have hole for ventilation. Bake until lightly golden brown around the edges, around 11-12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. 

To make the filling: blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and thick, like yogurt. If it’s too thin, add more coconut shreds. If it’s too thick, add more coconut milk. Once your crust has cooled, pour in your filling and leave in the fridge over night so it can set. 

Assembly: if you wish, gently and carefully remove your pie from the pan. Scoop your whipped coconut cream on top, and sprinkle on your toasted pecans and coconut, if using. An extra sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of maple syrup might be a decadent addition before serving. Enjoy!