Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 125

3-4 tablespoons canola oil

PREHEAT THE oven to 375F.

Prepare the filling: Chop the plums by cutting around the seed (this gets a bit messy). Cut them into slices that are between and inch thick. Place in an 8-inch square baking pan. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir to dissolve the starch. Set aside.

Prepare the topping: Toss all the topping ingredients except the canola oil into a mixing bowl and mix together with a fork. Drizzle in the oil by the tablespoon while tossing with fork until the topping becomes crumbly and doesn't look too dry. If you've got it by 3 tablespoons of oil, more power to you; but you may need to add another few teaspoons up to a tablespoon, to get the right consistency. Sprinkle relatively evenly over the plum mixture.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes; the filling should be bubbly.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Scoop into bowls. Top with vegan vanilla ice cream.

INDIVIDUAL HEART-SHAPED APPLE GALETTES.

MAKES 6 INDIVIDUAL GALETTES.

TIME : 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES.

A galette is a thin, freeform pie. Although here we have forced them into the shape of hearts, so they are no longer free. A thin layer of sweet, tangy apricot preserves is spread onto each crust before baking. A little sugar and cinnamon are sprinkled on top of the apple, making a lovely, simple fruit dessert with a crisp, melt-in-your mouth crust for you and those you love. Or just you, six times.

Crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour, or cup whole wheat pastry flour and cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

cup nonhydrogenated vegan shortening

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

- cup very cold water

Apple filling: 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced very thinly ( inch or less)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 teaspoons apricot preserves

Canola oil spray

Prepare the dough: IN A large mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the shortening in three batches by the teaspoon, but you don't need to be precise about this; you just want to add it in small chunks. Cut the shortening into the flour with each addition, until the dough is crumbly and pebbly.

In a measuring cup, combine the vinegar with cup of cold water. Add the diluted vinegar to the flour mixture in three batches, gently mixing it into the dough with a fork, until the dough holds together when pinched. If need be, add up to cup more water.

Gather the dough into a ball and knead gently a few times until it holds together. Form again into a ball and flatten just a bit into a disk. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. If you refrigerate it longer, that is fine; but in that case you may need to leave it out for 15 minutes or so until you can easily roll it.

Fifteen minutes before you are ready to prepare the galette, preheat the oven to 425F and slice your apples. Also, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and lightly grease a baking sheet.

On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12 15-inch rectangle that is inch thick. It helps if you flour the rolling pin as well, so the dough doesn't stick. Use a b.u.t.ter knife to cut four 8-inch hearts from the dough. When you have done four hearts, place them on the prepared baking sheet, roll out your dough sc.r.a.ps, and create two more hearts. Place those on the baking sheet as well.

Roll in the edges of each heart to create a rimmed crust. You will have to do some pulling on top where the two curves meet, but it doesn't have to be too precise, as long as you get the general heart shape. Now take a b.u.t.ter knife and score the rolled edges on a slight diagonal to create a pretty design. "Score" just means to press gently with the knife's edge. This not only makes the crust pretty, it also secures the rim in place.

If you don't want to make hearts or are just scared of them (scared of love?), eight-inch circles will work, too!

If you don't have a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour with two knives held together.

Spread a teaspoon of apricot preserves in each crust. Starting from the top, place four apple slices on both sides of the heart, slightly overlapping, to create a fan effect. You might have to press them into the edges if there doesn't seem to be room; that is perfectly fine. The curved side of the apple slices should go along with the curve at the top of the heart.

Spray with a bit of canola spray, to keep the apples from drying out, and sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges of the crusts are golden brown.

Serve warm, with a scoop of vegan ice cream, if desired.

MANGO PEAR PANDOWDY.

TIME : 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES.

Pandowdy is an old-fashioned American dessert that doesn't get much play these days. The concept reminds us of the kind of thing a child might decide to do to their food, if they were industrious enough to roll out a pastry. It's simply a pie whose crust has been smashed into the fruit halfway through cooking. The appeal is in the texture; the top of the pastry stays flaky and crispy and the bottom is mushy and soggy with fruit. We love the sloppy beauty of it. This version is mango and pear with just a hint of ginger and cinnamon, but try the method with any pie you make.

2 mangoes, peeled and cut into inch dice

2 pounds Bartlett pears, cut into inch dice

cup sugar

2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling on top of crust.

1 single pie crust (page 262)

PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Have your pie crust rolled out and ready.

Combine all filling ingredients in a pie plate. Mix until the arrowroot or tapioca is dissolved. Cover with the pie crust, and tuck the edges around the filling and sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Slice the crust into roughly ones inch pieces, then use a spoon to smush the crust into the pie. Return to the oven to finish baking for 20 more minutes to half an hour. The filling should be bubbling over and the crust should be browned.