VEGAN ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE "OREO" ICE CREAM PIE


I must confess that Julie Hasson inspired this dessert with her scrumptious-looking creamy vegan chocolate-crushed vegan “Oreo”-topped pie that I never got to taste a  demo we did in Portland OR together several years ago.  So, I devised my own recipe for my old Vegan Feast subscription newsletter 10 years ago and now I’m going to share the slightly revised and updated recipe with you here.  It makes a fabulous summer celebration dessert– for a birthday, perhaps.

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BRYANNA’S VEGAN ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE “OREO” ICE CREAM PIE
Serves 12
I do love “Oreo”type cookies, though we only indulge once or twice a year. And there are vegan (and organic) Oreo-type chocolate sandwich creme cookies on the market that make this possible. This pie is definitely an indulgence, but it’s actually very easy to make if you have made the gelato ahead of time, or if you make it with your favorite commercial vegan chocolate and coffee “ice cream”.
See Cooking Tips below for brands of vegan “Oreo” cookies, and vegan graham-type cookies.

CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST:
1/2 cup organic dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1/4 cup vegan butter (see my homemade palm oil-free recipe here)
1 cup vegan graham cracker crumbs (see Cooking Tips below)
1/2 cup finely-chopped nuts of your choice
CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
1 cup full-fat soymilk or nut milk
8 oz organic dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 Tbs (2 little packets) espresso powder or use 1 Tbs. instant coffee powder
2 Tbs Kahlua , other coffee liqueur, or 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
FILLING AND GARNISH:
2 cups Bryanna’s Revised Vegan Chocolate Gelato OR 1 pint commercial vegan chocolate “ice cream” (premium variety)
2 cups Bryanna’s Vegan Coffee Gelato (see recipe below) OR 1 pint commercial vegan coffee” ice
cream” (premium variety)
GARNISH: (see Cooking Tips below)
8 organic vegan chocolate sandwich creme cookies, broken up
10 whole vegan chocolate sandwich creme cookies
OPTIONAL:
Your favorite vegan whipped topping

To make the Crust:
Melt the chocolate and vegan together in the top of a small double boiler over simmering water, or in a microwave-proof bowl in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. Add to the crumbs and nuts in a bowl and mix well. Press into pie pan 1-inch up sides. Chill.

To Make the Chocolate Sauce:
Bring the soymilk to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in espresso powder and Kahlua or vanilla. Let the sauce cool.

To Fill the Pie:
1.) Microwave the Coffee Gelato  on low setting at 10-second intervals until slightly softened. Spread this evenly over the crust.

2.) Spread 3/4 cup of the Chocolate Sauce over the Coffee Gelato.

The Coffee Gelato spread over the chocolate crumb crust

3.) Sprinkle the sauce-covered gelato evenly with the broken cookies. Freeze until gelato is
firm, about 20 minutes.

4.) Arrange the Chocolate Gelato in side-by-side scoops around edge of pie.

5.) Wedge 1 whole cookie between each scoop. Freeze pie until firm (covering it with plastic wrap if it’s going to be in the freezer for more than a few hours), at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Cover and chill the remaining sauce.

To Serve, cut the pie into 12 wedges. Drizzle each serving with a little of the Chocolate
Sauce. Add whipped topping, if you want to “gild the lily”.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 588.0 calories; 36{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 25.1g total fat; 0.0mg
cholesterol; 275.1mg sodium; 183.7mg potassium; 90.9g carbohydrates; 3.5g fiber; 49.5g
sugar; 7.2g protein, 13.2 points.

Cooking Tips
VEGAN “OREO”-TYPE COOKIES:
Country Choice Organic Chocolate Sandwich Cookies: This is the brand I used– and it’s free of palm oil.

I understand that Trader Joe’s has a vegan Oreo-type sandwich cookie that is also gluten-free, but I can’t find the ingredient list.

VEGAN CRACKER-TYPE COOKIES TO MAKE CRUMBS:
Nabisco Original Grahams are vegan.

Barbara’s Snackanimals Cookies, Vanilla or Oatmeal

Here’s a recipe for making your own:
http://vegancupcakes.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/graham-crackers/

NOTE: Some bulk graham cracker crumbs are vegan—ask for the ingredient list.

BRYANNA’S VEGAN COFFEE GELATO
Serves 8

1 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup or brown rice syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup soy, almond or cashew milk
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
(If you are allergic to nuts, use 1/4 cup more  non-dairy milk and 1/4 cup oil.)
1/2 cup light unbleached organic sugar
2 Tbs (4 little packets) instant espresso powder (If you can’t find this, use 1 cup liquid espresso or strong brewed coffee instead of 1 cup of the water.)
1 tablespoon Instant Clearjel® OR 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum
OPTIONAL: 3 Tbs Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until VERY smooth and frothy (make sure that it doesn’t feel grainy).

Chill the gelato mixture and then freeze according to directions for your ice cream machine. Scoop into a quart plastic container, cover and freeze for several hours before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 220.9 calories; 15{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} calories from fat; 4.1g total fat; 0.0mg
cholesterol; 102.4mg sodium; 108.7mg potassium; 48.1g carbohydrates; 0.4g fiber; 38.6g

sugar; 3.2g protein.

Enjoy!