Digest: vegan lime spruce tip pie with rose meringue

I have always preferred cake over pie, or so I thought. Most of the pie I had as a child was frozen Sara Lee pie. No shade on Sara Lee, it was solid pie. But cake was homemade growing up, so I found early affinity. Still, I had not-so-bad memories of frozen Sara Lee key lime pie, mostly for breakfast. But, with food allergy diagnosed many years ago, pie had simply not been a baking priority. Recently, finding myself with a bag of frozen spruce tips I wild harvested and access to bottles of fresh squeezed lime juice from Beach Tribe Soda Works, I had a stroke of inspiration. This pie is refreshing, light, and like eating a cloud poem. A myriad of variations can be made by changing the juice used and/or the powder in the meringue.

Makes one 6 inch pie

Ingredients

For the pie crust

• 1 cup vegan graham crackers, broken into bits

• 1/2 cup black walnuts

• 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese

For the pie filling

• 3/4 cup lime juice

• 1/2 cup spruce tips

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1 3/4 cup oat milk (or other plant milk) with two tablespoons separated

• 1 1/2 tsp agar powder

For the meringue

• 1/2 cup aquafaba

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons rose powder (you can buy here), optional

Pie Method

1. Line a 6 inch spring form pan in parchment. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a food processor, process all the ingredients for the crust. Press into pan and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

3. Combine the two tablespoons of reserved milk with agar powder until a paste forms.

4. In a small saucepan, heat remaining milk until steaming and almost boiling. Mix in the agar paste and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 20 minutes, until just warm to touch.

5. In a high speed blender, combine the lime juice, syrup, and spruce tips and fully puree. Blend in the milk.

6. Pour into pie form and chill for at least 5 hours or overnight (preferable).

Meringue Method

1. Once the cake is fully chilled, make meringue. Sift together the rose powder and sugar. Set aside.

2. Whip aquafaba and cream of tartar using a whisk attachment to stiff peaks (about 4 minutes).

3. Slowly add in sugar until fully combined.

4. Mound meringue on pie (you may have leftovers) and use a chopstick or knife to make ridges. Using a kitchen torch toast the top. Eat right away! The meringue will deflate after a few hours, but still tastes delicious.