Last weekend my husband and I visited good friends of ours that have recently had a baby (a super cute one, at that!). We thought it might be nice to make dinner for the busy new parents and this pie was what I brought for dessert.

When I was trying to decide what to make I had three objectives:

1. Need to be able to make it the night before (which also means it must travel well)
2. Needs to be sort of a universal crowd-pleaser
3. Needs to be delicious

Obviously, that’s sort of a tall order. However, as I was thumbing through Vegan Pie in the Sky, I came across this little slice of heaven and knew it was just what the doctor ordered. If you’ve got an occasion coming up or are just in the mood for something yummy, give this one a try.

Vegan Grasshopper Pie
Recipe courtesy of Vegan Pie in the Sky

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups finely ground vegan chocolate wafer cookies (Newman’s Own makes a good one)
3 tbs sugar
4 tbs Earth Balance
1 tbs plain soy or almond milk

1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 2-8 hrs or until very soft
1 (13 oz) can coconut milk at room temp.
1/4 cup creme de menthe
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp agar powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp mint extract
4-6 drops green food coloring

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate w/non-stick cooking spray
• In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and sugar
• Drizzle in the butter and use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, then drizzle in the milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough
• Pour the crumbs into the pie plate
• Press crumbs into the sides of the plate first, then work down to the bottom
• Bake for 10 min.
• Set aside to cool
• Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor or blender
• Blend with the coconut milk and creme de menthe until totally smooth
• In the meantime, stir together the almond milk and agar powder in a small 2 qt saucepot
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring consistently
• Boil for 30 seconds, then lower the heat so that you’re just getting small bubbles and cook for about 5 min., stirring occasionally
• Whisk in the sugar, add the coconut oil and mix until melted
• With the food processor running, stream the hot mixture in until thoroughly blended with the cashew mixture
• Add the vanilla, mint and food coloring and pulse to combine
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared crust and refrigerate until set, about 4-6 hours
• When the pie is almost set, melt the chocolate chips in a bowl and stir in the coconut oil to melt
• Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic bag
• Snip a tiny corner off the bag and drizzle the chocolate all over the pie
• Return to the fridge to set for at least 20 min. (to bring out the full flavor of the mint and mellow the coconut flavor, chill overnight)
• Serve with vegan whipped cream

Yield: One 9-inch pie

I seriously love my cookbooks. I’d have been completely lost without them when I first started eating vegan. I’m a decent cook (much better since I went vegan, actually) but I really don’t have the time or the talent for ground-up, recipe development. And honestly, with these books at my disposal, I don’t really need to.

As you can see, the books I’m talking about are:

• The Kind Diet, Alicia Silverstone
• Veganomicon, Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
• Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook, Kim Barnouin
• Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin

I know that four cookbooks doesn’t a library make but I also supplement with recipes I discover online at least as often as I reference one of these books for meal ideas. Additionally, the style of each of these titles (with the exception of the Skinny Bitch books, of course) is pretty different. Even the more traditional recipes in The Kind Diet have a strong “health” focus and tend to be fairly simple. Veganomicon is so huge as to encompass all kinds of foods and influences, but tends to concentrate on traditional, made-from-scratch recipes. The Skinny Bitch books (especially Bitch in the Kitch) often take more liberties with culinary shortcuts and the occasional use of prepared foods.

Veganomicon and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch were the first two books I bought when I went vegan. The Kind Diet came next, followed later by Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth repeating: I love all my cookbooks equally but if I had to choose a fave, I’d give it to Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.

True to its title, this book is best suited to everyday use, meaning you don’t necessarily need to spend a ton of time preparing these recipes and they’re all fairly simple to follow. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some showstoppers here (because there definitely are) but I find it best for day to day use.

I’m certain I’ll add to my collection gradually, but for the time being, these four books (and the internet!) are all I need to keep my kitchen vegan. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting a more in-depth review of each book, including a few of my favorite recipes from each.

So tell me, are there any books I’m missing that you couldn’t live without?