Coconut and Pumpkin Chai Cream Pies

Two pies, one variation. How easy could that be? The coconut milk reduces the calorie count, so now you can have your pie and eat it too.

As I have to transport these babies to mutiple households tomorrow, they are still naked on top, but you can top them with whipped cream just before serving.

Coconut Pie Indredients:

1 baked pie crust
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1.5 cups coconut milk
1.5 cups half and half
1/2 cup flour
1 cup toasted or raw coconut
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, eggs, coconut milk, sugar and flour. Whisk continuously over medium heat until thickened (about 10-20 minutes)

About the time you are ready to give up, sure that it isn't EVER going to thicken, it does. So hang in there.

Remove from heat and stir in coconut and vanilla. Pour into pie crust and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Top with whipped cream just before serving.



                                           **If you are making the pumpkin pie**
 
You will substitute 1 cup of pumpkin puree for the dried coconut, and add it to the milk base with 1 tsp each garam masala and cinnamon, and cook until thickened. Stir in vanilla after you remove from heat. Continue with directions as stated.

Cranberry Tea Bread

One of my favorite holiday recipes to share with friends and family, baked up and wrapped in paper, is Cranberry Tea Bread. Snuggled in a basket with homemade jam, it makes for a lovely holiday tradition. Not too sweet, it pairs lovingly with tea or coffee.

I can't take credit for this recipe, it came to me a few years ago from Whole Living Magazine.

Cranberry Tea Bread

1/4 cup oil, plus more for pan

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup flour, plus more for pan

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cardamom (or cinnamon)

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt (or two smashed bananas or applesauce)

2 large eggs (or egg replacer)

1 cup frozen whole cranberries

1/4 cup crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan. Toast oats on cookie sheet until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to blender and grind until fine. Place oats in a bowl, and mix with flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cardamom.

In a seperate bowl, mix yogurt, oil, eggs, whisk until combined. Make a well in the dry ingredients and combine wet with dry. Fold in cranberries.

Pour into loaf pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly. Cool 10 minutes in pan, separate from pain with spatula, cool on rack.