Cook With Us #22: Triple Layer Nice Cream Pie {Carrot, Pineapple & Coconut}

Hey there folks!  I hope everyone has had a great weekend.  I just got back home from spending most of the weekend with my family to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary.  My sisters, niece and I all invaded their house to spend the night and just enjoy time as a family.  It has been quite a while since all of us slept under one roof again as we are all well into our adult lives.  The weekend turned out to be the perfect opportunity to whip up something for the latest @cookwithus competition (contest post here).

I don't often make dessert recipes, but I thought it would be fun to stick with a sweet option for the pie theme this week.  Though it is a dessert, I still prefer not to use a lot of processed ingredients so the final product was a wonderful treat, while still being pretty healthy with the main ingredients coming from whole foods.  My dad loves carrot cake, so when I was coming up with my idea I knew I wanted to incorporate carrots somehow.  My mom just likes anything I make, so I knew I could please her with just about anything my brain could come up with.  I am still not amazing at baking, thus the idea to do a frozen variation seemed like the perfect idea to please us all. ;)

The base layer of the pie is pretty simple.  A raw standard combination of nuts and dates to make a chewy, naturally sweet crust.  I also had to find a way to add in a little of my favorite ingredient--flavored balsamic!  Once I had settled on my main flavors of carrot, coconut and pineapple I opted for the tangerine balsamic vinegar to impart just the slightest citrus note to the crust.  It didn't come through a lot, but it was just enough to elevate the basic ingredients to form the perfect base for the rest of the layers.

The first layer was where I brought in my carrot.  I really wasn't sure how it was going to come out, but let me just assure you that carrot nice cream is absolutely fantastic!  I roasted my carrot to soften it up before blending it with my frozen banana and a little bit of coconut milk.  It would have been a great treat on its own, but it also paired really well with the next layer where I brought in some pineapple.  Since this was my first time making this, I wasn't one hundred percent sure on my portions of each layer.  I probably could have done just a bit more carrot to make the first layer as it turned out pretty thin once I spread it out.  I may play around with my proportions next time just to see how it ends up.  Once I topped the final layer with coconut whipped cream it was actually the perfect amount of filling and all of the flavors balanced really well!

The little bit of coconut throughout made everything rich and creamy, while the bananas and dates added just enough sweetness on their own without having to add any sugar except for a tiny little bit in the whipped cream.  Of course I'm a sucker for any kind of nutty crust, so that was a great base to add a little bit of texture to the frozen layers.  Everyone enjoyed it in my family, which was the true sign of success!

Triple Layer Nice Cream Pie

Makes 1 pie

For the crust:

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1 1/2 cups pitted & chopped medjool dates
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon tangerine balsamic vinegar (optional--can sub for fresh citrus juice like orange or lemon)

Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until broken down into small pieces.  Add in the remainder of the ingredients and blend until a chunky dough forms.  Remove from the food processor and press evenly into a pie plate.  Make sure to press the crust all the way up the sides.  Set aside and make your filling.

Carrot Nice Cream Layer:

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup sliced frozen ripe banana
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk*

Place the carrots in an oven safe dish with a few tablespoons of water.  Roast in the oven until soft (about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit).  Let cool then place in a blender with the banana and coconut milk.  Blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Pour out to make a smooth layer on the crust in the pie dish.  Place in the freezer for about an hour to let it harden and set.

*I used the liquid from a can of coconut cream since I was going to use the cream for my whipped third layer.  Just place your can in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes and scoop out the hard top layer for the cream.  Use the remaining liquid for the nice creams.

Pineapple Nice Cream Layer:

•  1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 1/2 cups sliced frozen ripe banana
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk

Add all of your ingredients to the blender and process until smooth and creamy.  Take your pie dish out of the freezer and smooth out over top of the carrot layer.  Place back in the freezer and let harden for at least an hour, or overnight.

Coconut Whipped Cream Layer:

• Solid cream portion from one can of cold coconut cream (reserve the liquid for the nice cream or other use)
• 1 tablespoon organic powdered sugar (optional)

Place the coconut cream in a cold bowl and whip for a few minutes with an electric beater or go old school with a whisk.  Add in your sugar if using, then whip for another minute or two.  Mine didn't come out quite as fluffy as a traditional whipped cream, but it was still smooth and rich for the final layer!

Smooth out over top of your pineapple layer to finish off the pie.  Let thaw out for just a bit to soften before cutting.  Enjoy!

Thanks to @chefsteve, @pandamama and @offoodandart for hosting a contest I hate missing because it is so much fun to join in and interact with everyone!  I am looking forward to the next phase in partnership with the amazingly talented @docsmith!

  (Banners by @woman-onthe-wing, @dksart and @bearone for @steemusa)