Mini Ricotta and Chocolate Pies with Lemon Crust (vegan, gluten free)
makes 3 mini pies, diameter of around 3/3.5 “
Crust ingredients:
2 tbsp of ground flaxseeds mixed with 5 tbsp of water
1 1/4 cups of almond flour
1/3 cup of tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp of turmeric
pinch of salt
2 tbsp of coconut sugar
zest of half lemon
3 drops of lemon essential oil
Filling ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of cashews, soaked in warm water for 30 to 60 minutes
1/2 cup of almond cheese
1/2 cup of coconut yogurt
1/3 cup of water, room temperature
1/2 cup of melted cacao butter
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1/2 tsp of vanilla
juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 cup of chopped milk/dark chocolate of choice
Preheat the oven to 180 C and prep a muffin tin oiling the sides with a bit of coconut oil.
Whisk together the flax and water in a small bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Then, add the drops of essential oil.
In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, tapioca, turmeric, salt, sugar, and zest.
Add in the flax and mix with your hands until the dough forms and sticks together.
Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper with a rolling pin until it’s around 3 mm thick. Use a round cookie cutter big enough to cover bottom and sides of the muffin tin using your fingers to press the dough evenly into the tin.
Using a fork, poke some holes into the dough and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes. You can put some weight like beans into the single crusts to make sure they don’t rise much.
Take out once ready and let cool completely.
For the filling, place all the ingredients in a blender pouring the liquid ones first and blend until smooth and creamy.
Transfer to a bowl and fold in the chopped chocolate.
Distribute into the pie crust and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set before taking them out to slice and enjoy!
Store the pies in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or in an airtight container in the freezer.
