They loved it!

While they tend to be hesitant to try new things, the fact that it was purple convinced them to give it a try. We love naturally colored food. We’ve been eating green eggs (using pureed spinach) since they were toddlers in honor of Dr. Seuss. There is something about bright colors that makes food more appealing to my children. It’s fun and exciting, an explosion of creativity.

After this pie I’m thinking of trying a few other dishes with purple yams.  One of my kids’ favorite breakfasts is sweet potato pancakes. I’m wondering if purple pancakes would taste just as good?

 

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

¼ cup honey (or sub maple syrup)

1 cup almond meal

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

For the pie filling:

2 lb. purple yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about 4 cups worth)

¾ cup canned coconut milk (not low fat)

½ cup maple syrup (see notes)

1½ tablespoons tapioca starch

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon all spice

¼ – ½ cayenne pepper (neither amounts are very spicy but the ½ teaspoon does stand out more)

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

For the coconut whipped cream:

1 can of full fat, additive free coconut milk (make sure it does not contain guar gum)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie pan with coconut oil.

Mix all the crust ingredients in a large bowl then transfer them to the prepared pie pan. Wet your hands lightly to prevent the crust from sticking to them then press the crust into the pan, making sure it is even on the sides and bottom.

Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, the crust will have puffed up and be light golden brown. Use the back of a spoon to gently push the crust down so there is room for the filling.

For the filling:

Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add the purple yams and boil for 10 minutes, or until the yams can be pierced with a fork. Drain the yams then put them in a high-powered blender or food processor.

Add the rest of the pie filling ingredients and blend on high until everything is smooth and creamy.

Pour the pie filling into the baked pie shell and smooth out the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the pie has set but still has some jiggle in the middle. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely before serving it.

For the coconut whipped cream:

Set the can of coconut milk in the fridge for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight. You want the cream and the milk to separate, and this is easier if it is very cold.

Separate the hard cream from the watery milk. Put the cream in a large bowl and add the powdered sugar. Using electric beaters, beat the cream for 2-3 minutes. It won’t form stiff peaks like regular whipped cream, but it will be stiff enough to dollop.

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Quick tip: If you are not a fan of coconut simply leave out the flakes and use regualr whipped cream.

Recipe and image courtesy of The Endless Meal