Vegan with a Vengeance

ground almonds, and salt. Sprinkle on the rice milk and oil and stir together with a fork. Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chilled dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Roll into a 10-inch circle. Peel off the top layer of paper and place the dough paper side up in a tart pan. Remove the top sheet of paper and use your
fingers to press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove any excess dough so the top edges of the dough are flush with the top of the pan.
    For the filling:
    Combine the pears, sugar, arrowroot, crystallized ginger, fresh cranberries, almond extract, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss gently to combine the ingredients. Layer the pear mixture in the tart shell, evenly distributing the cranberries as you go. If there is some liquid left over, pour it in as well. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
    PUNK POINTS
    To easily core pears, cut in half and use a measuring teaspoon to remove the seeds.

Strawberry Shortcakes
    SERVES 12
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    Get a big forkful of the scone soaked in the strawberry sauce with a touch of the Macadamia Crème and it is just, do I say “heavenly” too often? Well, it’s heavenly.
    Scones (page 42)
    Macadamia Crème (recipe follows)
    FOR THE STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
    2 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced (should come to about 7 cups)
    Â½ cup sugar
    1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Make the sauce before making the scones and crème because the strawberries need to sit for an hour.
    Place all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stirring to make sure all the strawberries are coated with sugar. Cover and chill for at least an hour; the strawberries will develop a sauce on their own. That’s all there is to making the sauce.
    Split open the scones, spoon in some of the strawberry sauce (¼ cup or so per scone), cover, and dollop on some Macadamia Crème. Add a few more sliced strawberries to the top, serve.
Macadamia Crème
    Takes five minutes to make, several hours to chill. I use this crème on puddings or on desserts with fruit toppings, including pancakes and waffles. It is easily modified by adding a touch of cinnamon or zest of orange or lemon. It’s not fluffy like whipped cream, but it does taste just as good. Try it on Chocolate Pudding (page 244).
    Â½ cup roasted macadamias (see Punk Points)
    Â¼ cup soy milk
    Â¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
    Â½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    Â½ cup canola oil
    In a food processor or strong blender, pulverize the roasted macadamias to form a fine powder. Add the soy milk and blend to form a thick paste. Add the confec
tioners’ sugar and vanilla, and blend again. Add the oil in a steady stream while blending. The mixture will resemble a thick liquid. Transfer to a container with a tight lid or a bowl covered in plastic wrap, and chill for several hours, preferably overnight.
    PUNK POINTS
    If you can’t find roasted macadamias that aren’t salted, place raw macadamias on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 8 minutes, flipping them after 4 minutes. Or, buy roasted salted ones and rinse the salt off and pat dry.

Strawberry-Rhubarb-Peach Pie
    SERVES 8
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    Ah, the bounties of spring. This is an obvious pie to make when the farmers’ market is overflowing with luscious strawberries, juicy peaches, and tart rhubarb.
    2 cups strawberries, sliced ¼ inch thick
    1 cup peaches, pitted, peeled, and sliced ½ inch thick (see Punk Points, page 243)
    2 cups rhubarb stalks, sliced ½ inch thick (discard all leaves; they are poisonous)
    â…“ cup sugar
    Â¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
    Â½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    2 tablespoons tapioca starch or arrowroot or cornstarch
    Â¼ cup maple syrup
    Divide the pie crust dough in slightly unequal halves and roll out each crust into a disk onto parchment paper. The smaller crust should be the diameter of the top of your baking pan; the larger one should be a few inches wider to allow for the pan’s depth plus a ½-inch overhang all around. Chill until ready to use.
    Preheat oven to 425°F.
    Line a 9-inch pie pan with the larger disk of pastry dough, allowing ½ inch of crust to hang over the edges of the pan.
    Place the fruit and rhubarb in a mixing bowl and add the sugar and spices,