Pomegranate & Orange Creamsicle Pie

This recipe was inspired by fresh California fruits pomegranate and cara cara oranges. A delicious and light coconut & brazil nut crust is a great accompaniment to the sweet & tart filling. Freshen up your winter with this fruity citrus pie.

As a raw food recipe, this requires some new techniques and thinking outside the box.  Some of the ingredients may be difficult to find locally, but are available online to purchase.  Lucuma, maca and camu camu may be unfamiliar, and I will include a description at the end of this post.  These ingredients are optional, but fun to use and enhance the nutritional profile of recipes.

Coconut butter & coconut oil are different products used in this recipe.  Coconut butter is the whole dried coconut flake that has been ground into a paste, like a nut butter, but solidifies at temperatures below 70 degrees.  This helps the pie filling to set, without being cooked!  Coconut oil is the fat that has been separated from the coconut meat fiber, and is delicate in flavor.  This adds richness to the filling without the bulk.  Also solid below 70 degrees or so.  

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Pomegranate & Orange Creamsicle Pie

Coconut & Brazil Nut Crust:
2 cups coconut flakes
1/2 cup brazil nuts
1/4 cup walnuts
3 T lucucma powder
3 T honey
1 T maca powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Directions:
Pulse all nuts in a food processor until a flour forms. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until combined and sticking together easily. Press into pie plate and set aside.

Orange Creamsicle Filling:
2 cara cara oranges, juiced (1 cup)
1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water (30 minutes)
2 T honey
3 T coconut butter, melted
1 T coconut oil, melted
3 T lucuma powder
1 T maca powder
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 tsp orange zest
pinch Himalayan salt

Directions:

Melt coconut oil & butter over a double boiler, or place it in a glass jar, then into hot water to melt.

Zest orange before juicing. Juice oranges, and melt coconut butter and oil. Blend all ingredients in high power blender until smooth. Pour into pie crust and chill 30 mintues.

Pomegranate Cream Filling:
1 large pomegranate, juiced (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water (30 minutes)
3 T honey
3 T coconut butter, melted
1 T coconut oil, melted
2 T lucuma powder
1 tsp camu camu powder
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or 1/2 bean deseeded
pinch Himalayan salt

Directions:
Juice pomegranate by using a citrus juicer or squeeze with hands. Blend all ingredients in a high power blender until smooth. Pour over orange cream, and swirl if desired. Chill 3 hours or longer to set. 

Decorate with fresh cara cara orange segments, goji berries and orange zest. Slice into 16 pieces & serve.

Serve this pie to anyone, it is tasty and familiar in flavor from the coconut and orange, and sugary enough to please any sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Lucuma: This fruit from South America is sweet with a maple flavor and high in beta-carotenes, iron, niacin and also fiber.  It is considered low-glycemic.  It comes in a powdered form, and is easy to use in smoothies, desserts and enhances the nutrition and flavor of sweet foods.

Maca: South American root from high in the Andes Mountains, full of minerals like selenium, magnesium, calcium and iron and rich in polysaccharides and amino acids.  It is thought that maca root helps to regulate hormones in the endocrine system from this balanced nutritional profile.  This also comes in a powdered form and has a malty sweet flavor.

Camu Camu: A berry from South America that is very high in Vitamin C and helps promote a healthy immune system & supports the brain, lymph, heart and lungs.  This strong flavored berry is available in a powder, very tart.  

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