Skinny Tiramisu

Coffee lovers rejoice at this traditional Italian dessert, which I just served at Father's Day dinner. I was never a Tiramisu lover but this recipe had me converted. Super easy to make, you can make these skinny treats ahead of time and have them at the ready.
Skinny Tiramisu

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 block of low-fat cream cheese (450 grams)
• 2 tablespoons of Mascarpone cheese
• 3 tablespoons of low-fat plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup of stevia or xylitol + 1 tablespoon  
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of fresh coffee or espresso
• 1 tablespoon of Tia Maria, Kahlua or Amaretto
• 12 Italian sponge fingers
• 1 small block of sugar-free dark chocolate

Method:

1. In a high speed blender or electric mixer, blend together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese and greek yoghurt together. Add the vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of stevia/xylitol and mix until combined. 
2. Take out 6 martini or round champagne glasses, tea cups or small ramekins.
3. Put of dollop of the cream mixture into each serving cup or glass.
4. Add the alcohol and 1 tablespoon of sweetener into the coffee in a small bowl.
5. Dip each sponge finger into the coffee mixture and put two into each glass.
6. Top with the remaining cream mixture.
7. Finish off each tiramisu with grated dark chocolate. 
8. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.

Pistachio and Strawberry Rose Meringue Cake

This stunning cake is the ideal centerpiece for a girly afternoon tea in the sunshine. Serve with beautiful rose champagne, and make sure you have lots of hungry guests with a sweet tooth. The lightness of this cake is perfect for warmer weather or a wedding celebration. The pictured cake was made by my talented friend Georgie, who has a cupcake and sweet business in Brisbane called Narnies Cupcakes. She can make an array of gorgeous treats, including macarons of all colours and flavours, beautiful wedding cakes and cupcakes, and can cater to your personal preferences and occasion.
Pistachio and Strawberry Rose Meringue Cake

*Please note, I have modified this recipe slightly from the cake pictured here. Original recipe was featured in the 2013 Gourmet Traveller Magazine, 'The Baking Cookbook'. 

Ingredients:

Cake by Narnies Cupcakes

• 1 punnet of strawberries, cut into small wedges
• 3 tablespoons of caster sugar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 200 grams of creme fraiche
• 3 tablespoons of sifted icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon of rose water

Cake:

• 5 eggs, separated
• 150 grams of caster sugar
• 170 grams of plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 140 grams of pistachios, finely chopped
• 80 grams of butter, melted and cooled

Icing:

• 3 eggwhites
• 190 grams of caster sugar
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon of rose water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Whisk yolks and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (5 - 7 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. 
2. Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form (3 - 4 minutes), fold in yolk mixture, then sieve over flour and baking powder and fold in along with pistachios and butter. 
3. Spoon into a 20-cm diameter cake tin (buttered and lined) and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool slightly in tin and turn out to completely cool on a wire rack.
4. Trim the top of the cake so it is flat and cut in half horizontally.
5. Combine strawberries, caster sugar, lemon juice and rose water and lightly crush with a fork, leaving ingredients to sit together to macerate for 30 minutes.
6. Strain the liquid from the strawberries to use to cover the sides of the cake. Keep the strawberries aside.
7. Whisk together the creme fraiche, icing sugar and rose water and set aside for later.
8. To make the icing, stir caster sugar and 50ml of water in a saucepan over low heat to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk the eggwhites and cream of tartar with a electric mixer until soft peaks form (2 - 3 minutes). Whisking continuously, add in sugar syrup in a thin steady stream until mixed. Increase speed of the mixer to high until the mixer is cooled - this takes up to 12 minutes, then whisk in the rose water.
9. Place one piece of the halved cake on a serving stand. Cover the top of this cake with the creme fraiche mixture and scatter over the reserved strawberries.
10. Top this first half of cake with the second half and cover with meringue icing. Smooth over the outside of the cake using a palette knife. You can serve with scattered rose petals or candied rose petals**.

*This cake is best eaten the day it is made.
**To make candied rose petal, brush unsprayed rose petals with eggwhite and rush in caster sugar. Set aside to dry on a wire rack and store in an airtight container until required.

Healthy Apple Blueberry Crumble

Perfect dessert as the cooler months approach, this apple crumble is made with delicious toasted walnuts and coconut, juicy green apples and superfood dried blueberries. I served mine with vanilla and nutmeg coconut milk icecream.

Healthy Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

• 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of dried blueberries
• 5 tablespoons of sweetener
• 3/4 cup of oats
• 50 grams of butter
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons of shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. In a large oval dish, place the apples, blueberries, cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sweetener, cover tightly with foil and oven bake for 45 minutes on 180 degrees.
2. To make the topping, rub together the oats with the butter and coconut oil until the oats seem lightly coated. Sprinkle though 2 tablespoons of sweetener. If the mixture seems too dry, add more coconut oil.
3. Take the softened apples out of the oven and let cool.
4. Sprinkle this mixture over the cooled apples. Top with coconut and walnuts.
5. Bake for 20 minutes on 180 degrees until the oats are toasted and golden brown. 

·       

Valentine's Day gluten-free chocolate fondant

Chocolate is synonymous with love; rich and addictive, chocolate is the flavor of romance. Knowing this and the fact that I knew anything chocolate would be a hit, I decided to create a dessert fit for the day of celebrating love. One of the best chocolate desserts is undoubtedly the chocolate fondant; crisp and cakey moist sponge encasing a molten lava centre oozing chocolate decadence. I made my fondant gluten free, which is actually quite simple when you replace the plain flour with gluten-free flour. For the chocolate component, I used 100 grams of dark chocolate and 100 grams of milk chocolate because I find dark chocolate creates a fondant that is almost too rich; the milk chocolate adds a lighter flavor. If you prefer the intense dark chocolate taste, use all dark chocolate but add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar (in addition to the 1/4 cup) to compensate.

Valentine's Day gluten-free chocolate fondant for two 

Ingredients:

• 100 grams of good-quality cooking milk chocolate 
• 100 grams of good-quality cooking dark chocolate 
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of gluten-free plain flour (or regular flour if preferred) 
• 50 grams of butter
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat on a low-wattage and check regularly to ensure the chocolate doesn't burn.
3. Add the sugar and mix until dissolved. Add the eggs and stir until combined. Sift in the flour.
4. Grease two large (250ml) ramekins with butter and dust with sugar until covered to create a barrier.
5. Pour in the mixture between each ramekin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Take out and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

xoxo

Sweet Tofu Sundae

I love tofu; I could eat it every day and as a vegetarian, it is one of my staple foods. Lately, I have been running out of ideas for breakfast, especially if I want something sweet and I stumbled across this delicious recipe. This recipe is super quick and easy. Whip it up for breakfast or dessert.


Sweet Tofu Sundae

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 250 grams of soft tofu
• 4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice
• 4 teaspoons of honey or 2 teaspoons of stevia sweetener
• 3 cups of fresh berries of your choice

Method:

1. Drain the tofu and let strain in a sieve for 30 minutes or soak out some water with paper towels.
2. Mix the tofu, orange juice, honey and 1 cup of berries in a blender.
3. Divide the remaining berries into four small bowls and top with the tofu mixture. 

134 calories per serve.

Skinny Fig and Hazelnut Puddings (gluten-free)

I adore sticky date pudding, the gorgeous golden cake adorned with rich caramel sauce is my idea of heaven. Despite the seemingly healthy sound of 'date' pudding, these little desserts are seriously sugar laden. To transform these puddings into healthier treats, I have used a few creative tricks that cut down on the calories without sacrificing the dessert's delicious flavours.

Sticky Fig and Hazelnut Puddings (gluten-free)

Makes 6

Ingredients:

• 50 grams of hazelnut meal (to make, process 50 grams of roasted skinned hazelnuts)
• 150ml of fresh orange juice or organic orange juice with no sugar added
• 1/2 cup of chopped figs, plus 6 dried figs cut horizontally
• pinch of ground ginger
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons of grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 60 grams of low-fat margarine
• 1/3 cup of Natvia sweetener
• 1 organic egg, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of gluten-free self-raising flour
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• boiling water, to steam
• coconut milk yoghurt or ice cream to serve

Method:

1. Grease six 250ml (1 cup) ramekins or ovenproof tea cups and place a circle of baking paper on the bottom of each cup.
2. Put orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to the boil on medium heat. Add the chopped figs (1/2 cup), ginger, cinnamon, and orange zest and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda, allowing the mixture to froth up, and set aside to cool for ten minutes.
3. Combine the margarine and Natvia in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined (don't be alarmed if the mixture curdles). 
4. Fold in the hazelnut meal, and add the flour in slow increments, slowly incorporating until all flour has been added. 
5. Pour in the orange juice mixture and stir to combine.
6. Divide the maple syrup into the base of the ramekins and top with remaining orange zest. 
7. Arrange two of the fig halves in the base of each ramekin.
8. Spoon the pudding mixture into each cup until three-quarters full, then cover with a square sheet of foil, sealing securely.
9. Arrange the cups in a deep roasting tin and full the tin with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. 
10. Bake for 35 minutes in a moderate oven. 
11. Take the cups out of the water and place on a cooling tray for 5 minutes.
12. Invert each pudding onto a serving plate and accompany with coconut milk yoghurt or ice-cream.

'The Kind Life' Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pie

Eating vegan or healthfully does not mean you have to miss out on delicious desserts. I love the look of this stunning strawberry pie, which is great to make for a girls' night. This recipe is taken from Alicia Silverstone's vegan blog 'The Kind Life'. I have substituted the honey or agave syrup for Natvia as it is my preferred sweetener. You will need to freeze this recipe overnight, so a little pre-planning is needed. 

'The Kind Life' Vegan Strawberry Lemon Pie

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup(s) almonds
1 cup(s) Medjool dates
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Filling:3 cup(s) raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup(s) strawberries
2/3 cup(s) coconut oil
2/3 cup(s) agave
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp. of pure vanilla extract

Topping:1 cup(s) strawberries
1 tbsp. of Natvia
1/4 cup(s) orange juice (make it fresh if you can)

Method 

1. To make the crust, pulse almonds, dates, and sea salt in a food processor until well combined and crumbly. Press the crust into the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan.

2. For the filling, combine cashews, strawberries, coconut oil, natvia, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth and well combined. Pour the mixture on top of the crust and spread evenly.

3. To make the topping, add strawberries, agave, and orange juice to blender. Blend until smooth and pour on top of the 'cheese' layer. Freeze overnight.

4. Take the cake out to thaw for about 40-50 minutes before serving. You'll want to cut it when it's still semi-frozen.

Tips for macaron making

The famed French macaron has almost overtaken the beloved cupcake in the sweet treat popularity stakes. Renowned for creating baking conundrums, perfecting macaron making can be quite the challenge. The key is to start off with no expectations, follow instructions, and relax while making your first batch. The more you bake, the more you will learn tricks to improve your macaron results. There are endless flavour combinations for macarons, but the most popular tastes are rose, chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla and coffee. I have included a delicious rose and citrus macaron recipe in this post.


* Just to clear up the confusion, a macaron is not a macaroon! A macaron is the delicate French almond meringue sandwiched with a decadent filling. The macaroon is an American sweet cookie made with shredded coconut and condensed milk (this is also very delicious).


8 Tips to Baking Macarons

1. Rest your egg whites: Leaving your egg whites to rest dehydrates them, resulting in a firmer, more stable meringue. Place your egg whites in a plastic wrap-covered, non-porous bowl, and poke a few holes in the plastic with a fork or skewer. Leave the bowl in the refrigerator for up to three days. Be sure to bring the egg whites back to room temperature before using.
2. Use only fresh ingredients: Buy only the freshest ingredients, including almond meal: old almond meal causes a macaron to lose its glossy luster.
3. Use finely ground almonds: Your almond meal should be very finely ground, fine enough to pass through a mesh sieve. If you're using packaged almond meal that appears too coarse to sift, give it a good grind in a food processor to break apart any larger pieces.
4. Colour with gels: Liquid food coloring can alter the texture of your macarons, making your batter too runny. Use gel colour and add it while whipping the egg whites. Remember that incorporating the almond meal mixture will slightly diminish the potency of the mixture's colour.
5. Develop your own technique: Every baker has an opinion about the best way to create the perfect macaron batter, a process known as macaronnage. The idea is to press out just enough air from the batter so that it runs off your spatula thickly, slowly, but consistently. Try gently folding the dry ingredients into the meringue, scooping from the sides, and then "punch" the center of the batter with my spatula. Another method is to press the batter into the side of the bowl. Find what works best for you.
6. Rest your piped macarons: If you find that the tops of your macarons are cracking in the oven, allow your piped macarons ample time to dry with the next batch. This can take upwards of 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the humidity of the room. You'll know they are adequately dried when you dab the tops with your finger and nothing sticks.
7. Prevent cracking: If you sufficiently dry your piped macarons but find that they still crack while baking, your oven may be trapping too much humidity. Try using a wooden spoon handle to prop open the oven door just a smidge for the first two minutes of baking.
8. Practice makes perfect: No one gets it right the first time around. With so many variables, you will need to find the equation that works best for you, your kitchen, and your oven. 

French Macaron Recipe

from Taste.com.au 

Ingredients

• 300g icing sugar
• 300g ground almonds
• 5 eggwhites (from 59g eggs)
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• Red and yellow food colouring

• Fillings

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp finely grated mandarin rind
• 1 tsp orange blossom water
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1 tsp rosewater

Method

1. Using a fine sieve, sift icing sugar and almonds, pushing through with a wooden spoon. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tbs at a time, and whisk until dissolved. Stir meringue into almond mixture (mixture will be stiff), then halve. Tint one half pink, the other half orange.
2. Spoon 1 mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm piping nozzle. Pipe (or spoon) 1.5cm rounds on to baking paper-lined oven trays*, then repeat with other mixture. Set meringues aside, uncovered, on trays for 1 hour (this will help minimise cracking).
3. Preheat oven to 150°C and bake macaroons, 2 trays at a time, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool on trays. Slide a knife under each macaroon to release from paper, then store in an airtight container until ready to fill.
4. For fillings, using an electric mixer, beat butter until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in icing sugar until combined. Transfer half the mixture from the bowl to another bowl and add mandarin rind and orange blossom water. Stir to combine. Add raspberries and rosewater to remaining mixture in mixing bowl and, using the electric mixer, beat until well combined. Sandwich pink macaroons with raspberry filling and orange macaroons with mandarin filling. Serve.

Notes

• * To create a perfectly smooth top on your macaroons, dip a finger into a bowl of water and gently smooth out any peaks.

Marshmallow gratin

Gratins are good in general. What is a gratin you question? Well in my world, a potato gratin is better known as a cheesy and creamy potato bake. Ah you say, very good. Then you will agree why the concept of a sweet gratin is a pretty genius one. In fact this gratin is made with marshmallows. I adapted this recipe from 'BBQ food for friends' written by Jane Lawson and Vanessa Broadfoot, which actually won an award for it's fabulous recipe collection. A good buy for those who love to BBQ their way through summer. My eyes lit up when I found this recipe - 'a marshmallow gratin!' I exclaimed. So then I went out and bought a bulk-sized amount of marshmallows in preparation for this momentous location. It wasn't until months later I ended up trialling the recipe but it worked out perfectly. It's a great dessert to serve at a BBQ with vanilla ice-cream and people will think you are very inventive. Yes, this dish is low in fat and loaded with antioxidant berries, but I can't delude myself, it's made with marshmallows! Alas, good for a treat.

Marshmallow Gratin


Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 600 grams of mixed seasonal berries eg. blueberries, strawberries or raspberries
• 2 tablespoons of raspberry liqueur 
• 150 grams of pink and white marshmallows
• Vanilla ice-cream

Method:

1. Put the berries and raspberry liqueur in a bowl and gently mix together. Transfer them to a large ceramic over-proof dish and evenly top with the marshmallows.
2. Put the dish in the middle of the BBQ (or you could put the dish in a hot oven) and cook for 8 - 10 minutes. The berries should start bubbling and the marshmallows should look browned and toasty. 
3. Serve the gratin immediately with ice cream. (Take care the berries with be very hot.)

Note: Strawberries release liquid when they are heated and should be used in smaller proportion to the other berries.

My way to store my impulsive marshmallow buy

3 easy steps to make candied rose petals

Taken from http://photos.weddingbycolor.com 

Vogue Living has a beautiful blog and spending a quiet Friday evening traipsing their site, I found this gorgeous post on how to make candied rose petals. 

As a tribute to one of America's best-known restaurants Chez Panisse on its 40th birthday, David Prior showed how to make candied rose petals, which adorns many of the restaurants beautiful desserts.

How to make candied rose petals:

1. To produce candied rose petals gently pluck the individual petals from unsprayed roses. 

2. With a soft-bristle paintbrush, carefully paint with egg whites.

3. Cover in fine organic sugar. Leave candied petals to dry on a rack.


Serve them the Panisse way, atop a Rose Geranium Pavlova.

This recipe appeared as part of ‘Organic Uprising’, a story by David Prior on pages 63 to 69 of Vogue Living Sept/Oct 2011.

Skinny gluten-free rasberry coconut pudding

Is there anything more delicious than warm pudding served with comforting custard? Well never fear, there are plenty of skinny options for pudding lovers. This recipe is adapted from Delicious magazine. I love the sticky jam base of this golden-coloured cake, which has mouth-watering crunchy exterior.

Skinny Rasberry Coconut Pudding

Ingredients:


* 1/3 cup of sugar-free rasberry jam
* 1 2/3 cups of gluten-free plain flour
* 3 teaspoons of baking powder
* 350 grams of caster sugar
* 100 grams of dessicated coconut
* 4 eggs, 2 whole and 2 egg whites
* 400 ml of low-fat soy milk
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
* 60 grams of organic butter melted
* low-fat sugar-reduced custard

Method:


1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Spread the jam over the base of a 2L pie dish.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients, beating as you go. Remember ingredients will combine more easily if they are at room temperature.
4. Pour the cake mixture into the pie dish and bake for 40 - 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and cake feels springy to touch.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before serving with a spoon and drizzling with warmed custard.

Serves 6 - 8

Rosy poached white peach in vanilla syrup

Pink and rosy, these peaches are sweet cheeks of summer fruit, which make a gorgeous treat especially when poached in perfumed vanilla syrup. I served mine with some organic sheep's milk yogurt and honey although it's equally scrumptious on top of muesli for a sumptuous breakfast. The romantic colours of the syrup and fruit lends itself to the perfect date night treat, and I may be hinting at a Valentine's Day dessert contender.

This dish is simple to make and takes very little time - and what is even better, it doesn't require perfectly ripened fruit as we all know that the search for soft juicy peaches can be a little tricky even in the ideal months for choosing. The harder the fruit, the longer you will need to simmer the flesh to soften and swell. The peaches I used were a little soft and only took a few minutes on both sides (you delicately spin the fruit over while cooking).

Rosy Poached White Peach in Vanilla syrup

Less than 100 calories per serve :)

Ingredients:
2 white peaches
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of sugar (or 3 tablespoons of sweetener - I use Natvia)
1/2 a vanilla bean with seeds scraped out or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
optional: a generous splash of sweet wine (I used pinot grigio for France, which is very fruity)

Directions:

Halve the peaches, twisting around the stone to release the fruit. If done easily, pull out the stone. If the fruit is quite hard, leave the stone in while cooking and remove later when the fruit is soft. Simmer the water, sugar, vanilla and wine until all sugar is dissolved and the syrup is mildly bubbling. Gently place in the fruit, skin side up. Poach for a few minutes then delicately turn over to the flesh side. Simmer for a few more minutes, until the peach is soft.

Remove the fruit and continue to simmer the syrup for 30 minutes or so until it thickens. You may like to transfer this to a saucepan and reduce the liquid to simmer down to a much richer syrup. I prefer to have more of the gorgeous pink juice as it can be used for so many other recipes. It's too beautiful to waste!

Serve with yogurt or ice cream, drizzled with a little vanilla honey. Bliss.

Vegan mahalo mud pie courtesy of Chef Chloe

I found this enticing pie at Chef Chloe's website, who bakes scrumptious vegan recipes without compromising on any flavour. An ambassador for vegan cooking, Chloe doesn't just believe vegan living is better for you, she has proven vegan cooking can be incredibly tasty too. Winning a cupcake competition, beating those cooking with old-fashioned butter and eggs, Chloe proved critics wrong.

In an interview with The New York Times, Chloe said, “I think right now veganism is portrayed as that horrible stereotype of hippie food that doesn’t taste good and that’s bland. I wanted to break through with a different image, that vegan food can taste exciting.”

Well this recipe for a decadent mud pie certainly looks exciting. Bake this for your friends and family and they will certainly be saying 'Mahalo!' - thank you in Hawaiian :)

Mahalo Mud Pie

Ingredients

Cookie Crust
* 2 cups chocolate wafer cookies
* ¼ cup vegan margarine or refined coconut oil, melted

Coffee Ice Cream
(OR buy 2 pints of dairy-free coffee ice cream)

1. 2 cups coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
2. 2 cups almond milk
3. ¼ cup instant espresso powder
4. 1 cup agave
5. 1/8 teaspoon salt
6. ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
7. 2 tablespoons canola oil

Coconut Whipped Cream
* 1 (14-ounce) can of coconut milk – not “lite”, chilled (preferably Thai Kitchen brand or 365 Whole Foods brand)
* 2/3 cup powdered sugar

Chocolate Sauce
* ½ cup soy, almond, or rice milk
* 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)
* 2 teaspoons canola oil

Topping
* ½ cup chopped almonds, toasted

To make the Cookie Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.

Pulse the cookies in a food processor until a fine crumb has formed. Add the melted margarine and pulse until incorporated. Press evenly and firmly into the prepared pie pan, spreading the crumbs ¾ up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool then freeze.

To make the Coffee Ice Cream

In a medium saucepot over low heat, whisk together the coconut milk, almond milk, and espresso powder until espresso dissolves and mixture is combined. Blend the espresso mixture with agave, salt, xanthan gum and canola oil until combined. Refrigerate until chilled, then run through the ice cream machine according to machine directions.

To make the Coconut Whipped Cream

Chill the bowl and whisk of a stand mixer in the freezer for about 30 minutes. If they are not very cold, the cream will not whip properly. Skim the solidified coconut cream off the chilled coconut milk and transfer the solids to the bowl of a stand mixer. Do not include any of the coconut water, even if you have to leave behind a little margin of coconut cream (even a little bit of coconut water can harm your results).

Add the powdered sugar and whip for a few minutes until the mixture begins to stiffen and turn into whipped cream. Work quickly so everything stays cold. Chill whipped cream in a covered container in the refrigerator. It should firm up even more as it sits in the refrigerator for the next few hours or overnight.

To make the Chocolate Sauce

In a small saucepot over medium heat, whisk nondairy milk and espresso powder until combined. Turn the heat to low and mix in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in oil. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, but it will need to be reheated before each use.

To assemble the Mud Pie

Spread the ice cream evenly in the chilled piecrust. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refreeze until solid. Note that letting the pie sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving will make it easier to slice. Slice the pie and top with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and almonds.