Vegan Pastry Cream Food

VEGAN CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, whizz the flour, cocoa and icing sugar in a food processor with a pinch of salt until uniform in colour. Pour in the melted coconut oil and pulse until the mixture looks like rubble. Add 2-3 tbsp ice-cold water and pulse again until the pastry just comes together. Knead briefly on a work surface, then wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• Roll out the pastry in between two sheets of baking parchment and use to line an 18-20cm tart tin. Chill for 10 mins in the tin while you heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Put a scrunched-up sheet of parchment over the pastry and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, remove the parchment and beans, and bake for another 10 mins until crisp and cooked through. Leave to cool in the tin, then trim the edges with a serrated knife.
• Measure out 100ml Elmlea Double Plant Cream Alternative and chill for later. Heat the remainder in a saucepan over a low heat until just steaming. Put the finely chopped chocolate into a bowl and pour over the hot liquid. Leave for 2 mins, then stir well to melt all the chocolate and make a smooth, shiny ganache. Add a pinch of salt.
• Pour the ganache evenly into the tart tin, then chill for 2 hrs until set. Whisk the reserved plant cream until thickened and softly whipped. Serve the tart in slices topped with the raspberries, a dusting of icing sugar and a dollop of whipped plant cream to serve.

VEGAN PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• In a small bowl, place the flour and whisk in 1/2 cups soy milk, and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, place the remaining soy milk, sugar, and salt, and whisk to combine Add the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients and whisk well to combine.
• Cook the mixture over medium heat, while whisking constantly, for 5-6 minutes or until thickened Add the remaining ingredients, whisk well to combine, and cook the mixture an additional 1 minute Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a glass bowl.
• Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming on the top Place the pastry cream in the refrigerator for several hours to cool completely.

VEGAN SHORTCRUST PASTRY (PIE CRUST)

Steps:

• Measure flour by gently spooning a heaping amount into the measuring cup then use the flat edge of a knife to scrape off excess.
• Add flour and salt to a large bowl and whisk together.
• Add half the butter (¼ cup) in small pieces to the flour. Use your hands to cut this butter into the flour until the pieces are about pea-sized. To cut the butter in, press on the pieces with your fingers to make the butter smaller and ensure each of these smaller pieces are coated in flour. Work as efficiently as possible to help keep the butter cold.
• Add the remaining vegan butter to the flour and cut this butter in, using the same technique as above; this time, keep these butter pieces larger, about the size of a nickel or penny. At this point there should be flour-coated pieces of butter throughout, but the mixture will still look grainy and there will be loose flour (it won't look like dough yet).
• Create a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and add ice cold water (literally water with ice cubes in it to make sure it's very cold).
• Use a fork to mix water into the flour until everything is just mixed (as soon as there are no more dry pieces of flour, stop mixing). At this point the dough should form. If you press the dough together it will stick to itself and not just crumble away. It shouldn't be so sticky that it's sticking to your hands. If the mixture is too dry (not holding together) slowly add more water, ½ tbsp at a time. If it's too sticky, add some additional flour 1-2 tbsp at a time.
• Shape the dough into a round, flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight. If you want to freeze the dough, this is the time to do that.
• When ready to roll the dough, preheat the oven using the temperature indicated in the recipe you're using to fill the pastry with. If blind-baking, set the oven to 400 °F.
• Sprinkle flour over your rolling surface and place the dough in the center of this. Sprinkle more flour over the top of the pastry dough.
• Gently roll using light pressure from the center of the dough to the edges. If the edges begin to crack, lightly press them together, avoiding getting extra flour in between the cracks (it shouldn't crack too much; if it is, not enough water was added to the dough).
• Continue rolling, adding extra flour to the top and bottom of the dough as needed (you can peel the dough up to add extra flour to the bottom). Roll to ¼ inch/ ½ cm thick.
• Transfer the dough to your baking dish. It's easiest to roll the dough onto the rolling pin then lift to transfer, unrolling loosely over the baking dish.
• Shape the pastry as needed, cutting excess dough from the edges.
• If blind baking, poke holes with a fork across the bottom (see pictures for indication of how many holes to poke). Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top edges have browned and the crust is lightly crisped all over.
• If adding filling before baking, refer to the other recipe for baking directions.
• Enjoy your delicious, buttery and flaky vegan pastry!