© David James Di Pardo – 2014

I’m constantly on the look out for new dessert ideas, so when I came across a recipe in VegNews last year for a margarita pie, I knew this was something I had to play with.

Key lime pie is a favorite in our family as is cheesecake, so i figured why not combine both and add a hefty dose of alcohol. The results? A boozy adult dessert perfect for hot summer evenings.

 

This is a no-bake dessert, which makes it perfect for summer entertaining. Especially if like me, you have no AC. Turning on the oven on hot summer days is a death sentence in itself. You can whip it up in a breeze and the longer it sits in the fridge the better. Make it a day ahead and top with the coconut whip before serving and you’re good to go. Besides it gives you a good excuse to stick your head in fridge and cool off… I mean, to check how the dessert is doing.

 

Serve it at you next BBQ, even better if you have a Mexican theme going.

 

 

Boozy Margarita Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie, serves 6-8 people

Crust:

• 3 cups pretzel sticks
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 6-8 medjool dates, quartered and soaked in hot water for 1 hour (see note)

Coconut Whipped Topping:

• 1 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the refrigerator
  2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
  1 teaspoon lime zest
  1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Margarita Filling:

• 12 ounces vegan cream cheese, room temperature
  8 ounces silken tofu, extra firm
  1/4 cup powdered sugar
  1/4 cup tequila
  1 tablespoon Cointreau
  1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
  1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  1 tablespoon lime zest, from 2 limes
  3/4 cup reserved liquid from coconut milk
  1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  2 tablespoons agar agar flakes

To make the crust, place pretzels in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Remove 1/4 cup of chopped pretzels and set aside. Drain dates from soaking water and add to food processor along with the coconut oil. Pulse until combined, the mixture should look like wet sand and be slightly sticky. Add the reserved pretzel pieces and pulse a few times more to fix them in.

Transfer crust mixture to a 9-inch pie dish and press into the bottom and up the sides. Use a 1-cup measuring cup to help flatten out the bottom and sides. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

For the filling, gently invert the can of chilled coconut milk and open. The mixture should have separated and the liguid will now be on top. Pour off the liquid and return the solid coconut cream to the refrigerator for use later to prepare the whipped topping.

In the bowl of the food processor, add the cream cheese, silken tofu, powdered sugar, alcohol, and coconut oil. Blend until smooth and combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.

Measure 3/4 cup of the coconut liquid and add to a small sauce pan along with the agar agar, lime zest, and lime juice. Heat over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the agar is complete dissolved, whisking constantly.

Slowly pour the agar mixture through the feed tube while the food processor is running. Continue to process until the fixture is combined.

Pour the filling into the chilled crust and return to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Before serving, whip the reserved coconut cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest until soft peaks form. Taste for sweetness and add the additional powdered sugar if desired. Top the pie with the whipped coconut cream and serve.

Note: If like me you find that you’ve forgotten to soak the dates ahead of time, you can coarsely chop them and place them in a bowl and cover with water. Microwave on high for 1 minutes and allow to cool for 1 minute before draining and using as the recipe requires.