This lovely dessert is full of fresh tropical favors.

Pineapple Pie with Kiwi Sauce

Serving Size: 8

Yield: 1 10″ pie

Ingredients:

for the filing:

  • 1 large fresh pineapple
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2-3 tablespoons apple pectin or vegan jam pectin
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger
  • 1 1/2 cups water

for the crust:

  • 2/3 cup toasted ground walnuts
  • 3/4 cup vegan vanilla wafer crumbs or digestive biscuits
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 4 Tbsp. melted vegan margarine

for the kiwi sauce:

  • 5 kiwis
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (depending on ripeness of the kiwis)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • splash lemon juice

Kiwi Sauce

Directions:

To make the filling:

  1. Remove the top from the pineapple.
  2. Cut off the shell and the bottom, remove any other outer pieces.
  3. Slice the pineapple over a bowl so that you can catch the juices as you are preparing it. If the core is soft, you can use some of it as well, if it is hard, then remove. Cut the pineapple into chunks.
  4. Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel and cinnamon in large saucepan.
  5. Cook, stirring constantly until clear and thick.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Add pineapple chunks.
  8. Using an immersion blender puree the ingredients slightly.
  9. I did not want a complete puree but a rather chunky mixture, so just a couple of whizzes was enough.
  10. Using a bit of mixture in a small bowl, mix the pectin to a smooth mass then add to the filling.
  11. Return to the heat and stir until thick and clear.
  12. I used the pectin as I did not believe the cornstarch was enough to gel the pie completely.

To make the crust:

  1. Toast ground walnuts on shallow pan for 10 to 15 minutes at 325 F /162 C, stirring occasionally.
  2. Using a food processors to turn the cookies (vegan wafers or digestive biscuits) into crumbs.
  3. Combine the cookie crumbs, walnuts, sugar and melted vegan margarine.
  4. Press into 10″ pie plate.
  5. Bake at 400 F / 204 C for 8 minutes.
  6. Let it cool.
  7. Spoon the pineapple filling in cooled crust.
  8. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

For the kiwi sauce:

  1. Peel the kiwis.
  2. Slice one to use as decorations.
  3. Cut the rest of the kiwis into small pieces.
  4. Put in a small sauce pan.
  5. Add the sugar.
  6. Allow to sit for a few minutes to draw the juices.
  7. Mix the lemon juice and cornstarch and add to the kiwi mixture.
  8. Heat the kiwi mixture and stir until the mixture has become thick and clear.
  9. It will have chunks of kiwi.
  10. If you do not want the sauce to be chunky, then you can mash it further with a fork, or puree it.
  11. If you wish to have just the green sauce, then put the mixture through a sieve to remove the black seeds.
  12. Garnish the pineapple pie with slices of kiwis and serve the sauce over slices.

Notes:

I was pleased with the texture of the pie. It was a firm filling and not at all runny.

Adapted from http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1937,147181-249192,00.html