Perhaps being hopeless of success makes you more likely to try unlikely combinations that lead to excellent results. After drawing from sources in Nourishing Traditions and Allrecipes.com, I am pleased to present Laura's Pear Custard Pie. It's gluten free, low glycemic, and mind-blowingly delicious. I fudge a little using evaporated cane sugar; you can use maple syrup or Rapadura completely. Organic is assumed.
(makes one 9" pie)
Crust:
2 c. finely shredded coconut
1/2 c. butter or virgin coconut oil (I prefer an even mix of both), melted
dash salt (optional)
1 1/2 Tbs. powdered sugar (optional; I make my own combining 1 c organic cane sugar with 1 tbs tapioca starch and blending on high)
Filling
4 c. ripe pears, cored and cubed
1/2 c. evaporated cane sugar
1/2 c. Rapadura
3 Tbs. Tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder, or potato starch, just not corn! you can even substitute 1/4c of pastry flour but it's not as healthy and I can't guarantee the goodness)
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 c. whipping cream
1/4 c. melted butter (optional, I forgot it the first time, and didn't notice a marked change the second time)
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine melted butter/coconut oil with shredded coconut, salt, and powdered sugar. Press into pie pan. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 4 minutes and reduce heat to 350F. Place fruit in pie shell. In a bowl, combine cane sugar, Rapadura, starch, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs and beat until frothy. Gently whisk in whipping cream, butter, and vanilla. Pour over fruit. Cover the edges of the crust with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes.
It's spectacular at slightly above room temperature with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.
I'm interested in trying the base recipe with other fruit, so we'll see. Happy Eating!
