Pecan Pie sans eggs

Okay...so Grimes finally released her Art Angels album and guess what! She put the demo version of Realiti on the CD! (It's not on the album though. Sorry vinyl fans). I finally have it at my finger tips so I can jam out in my car while I drive to town to get ingredients to try out new recipes and whatnot! WooHoo!

I prefer the demo to the album edit, but they're both really good. Before I ever heard the album version, I came across this one playing on KEXP. I knew Grimes had polished up Realiti, so I thought maybe this was it. Well, it's not. It's Natalie Prass. I think it's killer though. To add to her street cred, Natalie grew up in Va Beach, which is the last place I lived in VA.

Now on to why I'm really here...
My mother gave us a book for Xmas called "Dream It. List It. Do It!" with Lia Steakley. It's based off a social networking website (43Things.com) that no longer exists. People would go and list between 21 and 43 goals they would like to accomplish from simple to difficult to bizarre. The theory is that limiting your life to 43 goals forces you to make choices, but making more than 20 goals gives you enough variety to keep you moving. It sounded interesting, so I figured why not; I'm making a list!

I'll only name a few of my 43 even though I'm sure you can guess what at least one of them is. Yep! You're right...it's write! I made it a goal to write at least one uninterrupted hour daily. I also decided to make a goal of writing a "This I Believe" essay so I could tackle two goals at once. Hey...I'm all about multitasking.

A few other goals are:
Build a house with hidden rooms and secret passageways
Do something fun with my daughter every day
Have a cooking competition with friends
Perform music for one uninterrupted hour daily

And the most difficult...yes, even more difficult than building a house with secret passageways:
Live each day as if it were my last, but learn each day as if I'll live forever

Which brings me to this recipe. Pecan pie is my absolute favorite pie on this planet. If it's gonna be my last day, I want something delicious to eat. If I'm gonna live forever, it needs not be complete garbage. I found out I'm allergic to eggs, so for me, eggs are garbage. I feel great since I quit eating them! I'm so thankful I came across an egg-free recipe so I could have a slice of my favorite pie this holiday season!

I got this from www.godairyfree.org  I was pretty close to the recipe listed on the site. I used ghee though and made my own pie crust.



Pecan Pie sans eggs:

1/2 C unbleached cane sugar
1 C dark corn syrup
4 T ghee
2 T ground flax meal
1 T all-purpose flour
6 to 7 T hot water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt
2 C broken pecans (broken into small pieces)
Whole pecan halves for the top of the pie
1  9" uncooked pie shell

* Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.

* Melt ghee into mixture.

* Set aside to cool

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees

* While oven is preheating, in a small bowl combine flax, flour, and water. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes to get gummy. This is your egg substitute.

*Once sugar/corn syrup mix is cool, whisk in flax mix egg substitute, sea salt, and vanilla.

* Fill pie shell with broken pecans.

* Pour syrup mixture over pecans until it's just below the rim.

* Arrange pecan halves on top starting around the outside and working inward in a circle.

* Place on a cookie sheet and place in the oven on the next to lowest possible rack setting. You can put foil over the cookie sheet before placing the pie on it for extra protection and easier cleanup if you'd like.

* Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until pecans are nicely toasted but not burnt.

I was very happy with this pie. It was even better that I could have just one piece and walk away satisfied. It's no secret that I've eaten half a pecan pie in one sitting on more than one occasion, which is why I only make it once a year. That didn't happen this year, and it wasn't because it didn't taste good. I think the flax gives it more body so you feel full.

Oatmeal Lemon Cream Pies

It's summer! What a perfect time to post a lemon cookie recipe! Well...now that the heat wave is finally gone and I can use my oven again. Perfect timing too because my lemon-loving neighbor is coming home from vacation tomorrow and it's his birthday.

I like to celebrate life and birth. I appreciate the people in my life. I think that's why I remember so many birthdays. I'm glad ya'll are here with me! Life certainly has it's challenges, but it really helps to have a good circle of people around you. It also helps to let them know you're happy they're in this with you. Gratitude...

Which reminds me...I let this kid in front of me in line at the grocery store today because he had less stuff, and I ended up paying the difference for his bill because he was short like $1.43. He didn't say thank you. If he did, I didn't hear it. Not that I did it for a "thank you," but still. Manners, people! Always say thank you when someone gives you a skip and pays for the rest of your stuff! Accepting what people offer you continues to encourage kindness, but so does showing appreciation.

Anyway...I pulled from three different recipes and added some of my own jazz to come up with this creamy, lemony, oatmeal sandwich cookie-ish thing. It's pretty good. It has a nice subtle lemon flavor. I like that. Maybe you will too. Hopefully my neighbor does since it's his birthday and all. He will certainly let me know if he doesn't. But he'll say "thanks" either way. I'm sure of it.

Oatmeal Lemon Cream Pies

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 and 1/4 cups unsalted butter (room temp)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 drops organic lemon essential oil
zest of 2 large lemons
1 TB honey
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats

Cream Filling:
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (room temp)
2 drops organic lemon essential oil
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

First off...yes, it is okay to ingest some types of pure essential oils, and lemon happens to be one of them. You have to be very careful with the quantity though because essential oils are very strong. One drop is equal to 2 tsp of the corresponding dried herb. Feel free to substitute with lemon extract. One tsp for each drop should do it. You might need to add more depending on your taste.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars together until light and creamy. Add egg, vanilla, lemon oil, lemon zest, and honey. Mix well, scraping down sides as necessary. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the quick oats and combine.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Measure out 1 Tb of dough, shape into a disc, and place on cookie sheet. Place dough discs about 1 inch apart because they spread when cooking.

Bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are light golden. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling: With a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add lemon oil and beat a minute more. Scrape down sides and add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Spread filling on flat side of cookie and place another cookie on the other side of the filling (flat side down) to make a sandwich.

Keep these refrigerated. Take them out 15 minutes or so before you want to eat them. Enjoy!

PS.

I love this song! I can't find it anywhere to purchase, so I have to keep listening to it on youtube, which is unfortunate.
Grimes: REALiTi