Key Lime Pie - Vegan Challenge Part.2

Vegan Challenge Recipe!! Part 2
This is where Bekki makes the standard, non-vegan recipe for a well known desserts and then challenges Jon to make them vegan!

Well here it is- my first ever Key Lime Pie, and a Vegan one at that! When Bekki challenged me to this I was a little terrified. Mainly because of the meringue- as I have cracked Aquafaba (chickpea water-based meringue), but my main choices for filling in this instance would be tofu, and avocado, two ingredients as a Vegan baker I am waaaaaaay behind on. So this is my first foray into Tofu-based desserts as well. And just six (mandatory) ingredients! A couple less than Bekki required... ;)

Ingredients;

350g biscuits of your choice- I also used hobnobs- they are listed as vegetarian on the packet, but have no non-Vegan ingredients within them- any other dry(wish) Vegan biscuit will do, failing that use Oreos!

100g melted vegetable spread- I used Tesco's own Coconut Oil spread, which I have used previously to great success!
600g fresh Tofu- drained and pressed for an hour or so before using. I found this in my local grocer, which stocks Asian ingredients, as oppose to the boxed varieties

400ml/One tin Coconut Milk- chilled in fridge overnight, or popped in the freezer for half an hour

3 large limes- zest and juice

120g + 80g icing sugar -two separate amounts needed

Optional Ingredients;
1tsp Vanilla Paste
1tsp Green Food Colouring
2tsp Desiccated Coconut 

Equipment;

Processor

Electric whisk

Loose bottom 7" springform tart tin (this mixture made enough for a generous 7" tart and two miniature ones in ramekins- for tasting purposes, of course)

Oven temperature;

190c/375f/Gas 5

Method;

• Use a rolling pin and a bag, or food processor, to blitz the biscuits they are fine. 
• Add the melted spread or oil to the crumbs, and combine thoroughly.
• Fill the tart tin with the biscuit mix, and press into a flat circle using your fingers, pressing up the sides and filling any ridges if you tin is fluted or shaped. Once prepped, pop into the fridge.
• To make the filling, simply place the drained and pressed tofu into your mixer, with whisks installed. Start mixing at a slow speed, and slowly add the 120g of icing sugar, a spoonful at a time, sifted. Once all the sugar is added, add the lime zest and juice, slowly increase the speed, and keep whisking until as smooth as possible- making sure to scrape around the bottom of the bowl partway through to avoid a tofu build up.
  Optional: you can add the vanilla paste at this point, if you want to mask the mild taste of the tofu as much as you wish, as well as the desiccated coconut, to taste (Key Lime Pie purists may balk at this, but it makes sense as we are using coconut milk later), and the green food colouring, which is optional and for aesthetic only (mine was Spirulina-based!)

• Once smooth, pour into the chilled case, and pop into the oven, for 20 minutes, or until set. If you have enough excess mixture as I did, pop your smaller ones in for about 15 minutes.
• Allow to cool, and once cool enough pop into the fridge, still in the case.
• Remove the coconut milk from the fridge/freezer. Open, and pop into your mixer and begin whisking on a slow speed. Sift in the other 80g of icing sugar, and continue to whisk until tracks are left in the mix. It will begin to look like soft peak meringue. 
• At this point, turn off the mixer, and quickly pour the mix onto the chilled filling. Smooth over and give a bit of a swirl.
• Pop back into the fridge, and chill for at least an hour before serving, to firm up the coconut whip.
• Serve chilled, with soy cream, or just as is. 

Verdict;

Well other than devouring most of it myself (tofu-phobic omnivore partner was having none of it), but testing it out on Pippa and two Lush colleagues, it seems to be a resounding success. Especially the coconut whip, which has Pippa in a particular frenzy!

It's citrusy, it's sweet, and while it may lack the crunch and crisp of it's meringuey-topped cousin, the fluffy cloud of coconut whip more than provides a perfectly light flavour and texture to work alongside the wobbly lime filling and biscuit base. Also, total cost works out to be approximately £4, so far less than it would be to buy a decent equivalent (if you could find a Vegan-friendly alternative).