Frozen Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

My friend and her daughter came over today to help us make (and eat!) some pie. I wanted to try something different and thought coconut would be good because-heck, I add coconut to almost all of my recipes! (Sorry, Ang.) But most vegan coconut cream pie recipes call for tofu as the thickener, and I wanted Abiline to be able to eat this. So I decided to try to thicken it up with some melted chocolate chips, tapioca starch, xantham gum, and some time spent in the freezer. I was also trying to mimic amy mother's fabulous frozen chocolate cheesecake with which she won many a baking contest back in the day. Anthony says that it would need more chocolate to measure up to my mom's, but that it is still mighty tasty. Abiline loved it, and she doesn't usually go for sweets. And, in case you are wondering, no, I don't only make desserts. I promise my next post will be for a yummy stir fry I have been imagining for the past few days.

Frozen Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

For crust (based on a recipe from Sweet Utopia)

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 c. dried coconut flakes
1/4 c. coconut oil (could sub canola)
1/4 c. agave nectar or liquid sweetener of choice

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" pie pan. Grind oats and coconut in a food processor. Add oil and sweetener and process until everything is moistened. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 12 mins.

For Filling:
1 cup coconut milk (the much lower fat kind they are selling next to the soymilk nowadys; I used So Delicious vanilla)
3 tbsp. tapioca starch or arrowroot powder (could sub cornstarch if no corn allergy)
1 tsp. xantham gum
1 c. dairy-free chocolate chips, melted
1 can regular coconut milk
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
flaked coconut, for garnish

1. Whisk the cup of coconut milk and the starch in a small saucepan and place over medium heat until thickened.
2. Add thickened milk and all other ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Alternately, you could combine all in a food processor or blender.
3. Pour filling into prepared crust and sprinkle with flaked coconut. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving. You can then move it to the fridge for a good pudding pie. If you want a really frozen pie, then keep it in the freezer for 4 or 5 hours to get it really set up and then store it there.