Creamy Dreamy Dairy-Free Lemon Pie

This recipe was born of a craving.  I was craving a cold, tart, lemony treat.  I wanted something like a lemon bar, but creamier, cheese-cakier.  I didn’t want to use eggs (lemon bars are loaded with them) and I didn’t want to spend my whole pay-check on cashews for a nut-based “cheeze” cake.  Also, honestly, I didn’t want all of the calories that come along with nut-based desserts.  Oh yeah, and I didn’t want to heat up my kitchen.  The solution?  Silken tofu.  Now before you poo-poo this idea, consider that silken tofu is cold, creamy, nearly flavourless, and cheap.  Even the non-GMO stuff is cheap, and you HAVE TO get that if you’re going for soy.  It’s also high in protein, calcium and iron.  If you have a soy allergy/aversion, I apologize that this one is not for you.  Aside from a minor (major) soy-milk-in-my-coffee addiction, I don’t use a lot of it either.  If you’re alright with soy, however,  today is your lucky freakin’ day.  This dessert is wonderfully sweet and satisfying, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a health food, it’s pretty stinkin’ nutritious.  I made it for four groups of people in a two-week period and received more praise than a baptist church on Sunday.

I’ve mentioned chia on this site a few times, but what I haven’t mentioned is that it absorbs an incredible amount of liquid.  In the case of this dessert, chia is used for exactly that property.  If you combine silken tofu and lemon juice, for example, it will emulsify briefly, but will separate after sitting for a while.  Adding chia to the mixture ensures that you will receive a uniform consistency that has staying power.  It has the added benefit of adding lift, texture, and nutritional punch.  You can leave the seeds whole if you like a tapioca-ey texture, or grind them if you’d prefer something smoother.  For more info on the nutritional benefits, click here.

Finally, a note on the crust.  I love raw desserts, and I love the classic crust combo of walnuts and dates.  I do find, however, that it can be a bit soft and boring.  While creating the recipe for this Frozen Fauxmage Mango and Beet Torte, I stumbled upon a discovery that would change my no-bake dessert-making life forever:  adding crisped rice cereal to the crust.  Hot damn.  It’s so simple and silly, but it adds an irresistible lightness and crunch to your crust.   Dooooo it.