Pies and Tarts with Heart: A Giveaway!

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Standard / by / October 9, 2013 / 39 Comments

When my friend Dynise Balcavage asked me to share her latest cookbook creation with you, I couldn’t resist.  She is enormously talented and has a terrific sense of humor – both traits shine in Pies and Tarts with Heart: Expert Pie-Building Techniques for 60+ Sweet and Savory Vegan Pies. From the book press release:

PIES AND TARTS WITH HEART

Presented in an easy to follow, step-by-step format, first readers will learn to master their crusts, be it flaky, nutty, cookie-based, vegetable-based, or gluten-free. Then they’ll craft their fillings before moving on to assembling the pieces, decorating it, and even making their homemade topping. (Vegan whipped cream, anyone?)

With more than 70 phenomenal recipes, there’s
something inside for every would-be pie maker and the recipes could be easier. Inside readers will find:

Classics like Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Key Lime Pie

Fluffernutter Pie

Rustic Freeform Plum Tart

Quiche, 10 Ways

Booze-Infused Mushroom-Polenta Pie

North-African Inspired Kale Pie

They’ll even find vegan “Imposters” like Boston Creme Pie, Whoopie Pies, and Macaroni Pie.

How about a recipe from the book?

Raw Baklava-Crusted Apple Tart

Pies and Tarts with Heart | Raw Baklava Crusted Apple Tart

Make this one for your sweeties with sweet tooths … er … sweet teeth? The base of this tart is inspired by the flavors of Baklava, the famously sinful Greek/Middle Eastern pastry. It’s topped with a gorgeous concentric circle of sweet-tart apples, which complement all the flavorings used in baklava, and drenched with lemon-cinnamon flavored Agave syrup.

Makes three 4-inch (10 cm) tarts or 6 mini tarts 

For Syrup:

  • ½ cup (120 ml) agave nectar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 

For Crust:

  • ½ cup (70 g) raw pistachios, walnuts, and/or almonds
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 ml) raw agave nectar
  • ½ to 2 tablespoons (8 to 30 ml) lemon juice
  • 2 organic apples (Granny Smith,
  • McIntosh, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn)
  • Lemon juice, to prevent browning
  • Cinnamon, for dusting

(For a 9-inch (23 cm) pie, double the recipe)

To make the syrup: Mix everything together in a large bowl or Mason jar. Ideally you should make this the night before, but let it sit for at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors have time to get to know each other.

To make the crust: Whiz together the nuts, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and agave in a food processor. (If you have one, a mini food processor is ideal for this task.) Chunks of nuts should be visible—don’t overprocess. Add the lemon juice, ½ tablespoon at a time, and whiz until the nut mixture sticks together. Press evenly into tart pans.

Slice the apples as thinly as possible, just before preparing the tarts (a mandoline is ideal for this job) and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning. Arrange the slices in concentric circles atop the raw crusts.

Pile about 1 teaspoon of the fruit garnish in the center. Drizzle with the prepared syrup and dust with extra cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Variation

Substitute a ripe pear or an Asian pear for the apple.

About the Author

Dynise Balcavage is the author of The Urban Vegan, Celebrate Vegan, and 11 books for young readers. She has published recipes in VegNews, Vegetarian Times, Philadelphia Daily News, and Végéteriens (France’s first vegetarian magazine). She’s been interviewed in The New York Times and International Herald Tribune, and has done cooking demos everywhere from New York to Paris. She lives in Philadelphia, PA with her three cats. Visit her online at http://www.urbanvegan.net.

Would you like to win a copy of Pies and Tarts with Heart? Enter now! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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39 thoughts on “Pies and Tarts with Heart: A Giveaway!”

  6. I’ve really been looking forward to this book – I’m on team “everything’s better when you put it in pie crust.” Favorites… probably savory pot pie and pecan pie.

  7. You had me @ “Booze-Infused Mushroom-Polenta Pie”, but I am very, very intrigued by the quiche recipes! I love the idea of savory and sweet pies and tarts!

    My favorite pie is coconut creme and my favorite tarts are blueberry!

  8. Thank you for the giveaway, I’d love to win a copy! Dynise is a fantastic cookbook author. My favorite pie is vegan chicken pot pie.

  10. This looks amazing. I think ice cream mud pie will always be my favorite, though I haven’t had the chance to veganize one yet.

  11. I never met a pie I didn’t like! 🙂 One favorite that I haven’t veganized yet is Kentucky Derby Pie.
    Thanks for the chance to win this great book!

  12. Cherry and apple are my fave pies…love tarts, so I cannot choose just one or two!

  25. My favorite pie is a muerbeteig…shortbread crust with a lush lemony blueberry filling…so yumful!

  30. This cookbook sounds delish! My favorite vegan pie right now is chocolate mousse pie with coconut whipped cream.

  31. Right now my favorite is apple…My husband went out to pick up 8 apples for the week and came back with 8 lbs! Already made one apple pie this week.

  36. I recently made a vegan banana cream pie (was my favorite non-vegan dessert back in the day…) not quite up to snuff but still tasty!

  38. I love all flavors and types of pie, but have yet to find a good vegan recipe for my favorite – key lime 🙂

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