Kitchen Tast Test Continued

On today's Kitchen Taste Test: Vegan Pecan Pie.

As my sister said in her blog, I did post a a recipe for a vegan pecan pie, but it was not the pie shown in her pictures from Christmas. This is the recipe for the pie in her pictures. The first recipe, is from Mountain People's Market Co-Op and Kitchen. This recipe, from Bryanna's Vegan Feast , was recommended to me, and I do like it. What's the difference between the two? Well, if you are wanting a pecan pie that is, "like grandma used to make", then you want Bryanna's. It has the filling that is most similar to an original pecan pie. The first recipe that I listed, it's more like....I'd say a caramel pie with pecans. It uses barley malt syrup that makes it thick and....well...caramel like. That's the best I can describe it. I like them both, but they very different from each other. Since I listed Mountain People's recipe once already, here's Bryanna's:

Bryanna's Vegan Pecan Pie

You have a choice of sweeteners:

1. 3/4 cup water PLUS 3/4 cup light unbleached cane sugar (Florida Crystals is what I use) AND 1/2 cup brown sugar packed. OR 1 and 1/2 cup maple syrup

2. 3/4 cup of water
3. Pinch of salt
4. 1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 41/2 Tbs cold water
5. 2Tbs vegan margarine
6. 1tsp pure vanilla extract
7. 1-2 cups toasted unsalted pecan halves (I use 2 cups. 1 cup I chop and add to the filling and the second cup I put on top of the pie after I put it in the pie shell.)
8. 9"pie crust, unbaked

STEPS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Poke the pie crust all over with the tines of a fork and pre-bake for 3 minutes. Remove from oven to a rack.

In a medium saucepan combine either the water and sugar mixture OR the maple syrup with the second 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add the salt and the dissolved cornstarch, whisking vigorously. Stir and cook over high heat just until the mixture thickens and is clear. Remove from the heat and stir in the margarine and the vanilla-stir until the margarine is melted. The mixture will still be fairly liquid.

Pour this into the pre-baked pie shell. Arrange the pecan halves on top, pressing them down into the mixture a little. Place the pie in the middle of the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes. The filling will still be "jiggly"-don't worry; it will set as it cools. Cool on a rack for about 1 and 1/2 hours, then refrigerate until thoroughly cooled and set.

Like I said, I add 1 cup of chopped pecans to the filling before going in the pie shell and then put the remaining 1 cup on top of the pie. That's my thing, but you make it how you like it best!

Next on Kitchen Taste Test......Vegan Eggnog cheesecake! Yumm!