Chocolate, Caramel & Banana Pie

   As per my usual, I decided to experiment with a dessert for guests that were coming over. I know, it's against the "rules" of inviting people over (you're not supposed to try something new for guests), but I felt the urge to make a pie, and to make it paleo-fied because it wasn't a treat day.
   Besides, the people we had coming over weren't super-duper dessert freaks, so there was a chance they wouldn't even have any! So, worst case scenario, I took the time to make it, and then had to eat it all to myself, or I took the time to make it, and it bombed, but my friends don't care because they didn't want dessert anyway! 
   So, this pie really combines a few other things I've made before, but I've only just introduced each thing to the other for the first time here. They became kindred spirits, and I think you will appreciate their friendship to one another. 
   There is a quote from Anne of green Gables about October (see it up there?), perhaps that's why I felt Anne-ish & kindred spirited about this pie. :)  

Chocolate, Caramel & Banana Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 Bananas, sliced

For the Crust:

• 1 Egg white
• 2 Tbsp Coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 Tsp vanilla
• 1/2 Cup almond meal
  
• 1/2 Cup fine, unsweetened, shredded coconut

For the Caramel:

• 1 Cup full fat coconut milk (you can use almond milk, but it takes a lot longer to turn into caramel, and it also reduces the final amount you end up with)
• 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
• ⅓ Cup coconut oil
• 1 Tsp Vanilla

For the chocolate:

• 3 Avocados, peeled and cut
• 3 Tbsp Coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tsp Lemon juice
• 3/4 Cup maple syrup
• 3/4 Cup cocoa powder

Method:

For the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. Whisk the egg white in a bowl with the melted coconut oil and vanilla
3. Add in the other ingredients, and mix until it is well incorporated. 
4. Carefully press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate 
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges of the crust are getting golden.
6. Once finished, place on a cooling rack to await the rest of the ingredients!

For the Caramel:

1. While your crust is baking, start your caramel.
2. Combine all the ingredients for the caramel into a small/medium sized pot, and blend them together as it comes to a boil. 
3. Once boiling, reduce heat only slightly, and allow this mixture to bubble and thicken, stirring it every so often.
4. This mixture can take 20 minutes or more to be ready. It is ready when it has reduced greatly, and the colour is a dark, rich brown. The bubbling will also be a thicker, sludgier type of bubbling. 
5. Remove the caramel from the heat, and using an electric hand mixer (or your muscles and a whisk), whip up the caramel until it has lightened in colour, and is creamy, and looks like gooey caramel! 

For the Chocolate:

1. On high speed, whip up the avocados with a hand mixer, and add the melted coconut oil, lemon juice, and maple syrup.
2. Turn the mixer to low speed, and add the cocoa, a little at a time. Once all the cocoa is added, turn the mixer back to high, and whip until it is all well combined. 

Put it all together!:

1. Once your pie crust has fully cooled, place the sliced banana into the bottom of the shell.
2. Pour the caramel onto the bananas, and spread around if needed.
3. Carefully plop the chocolate onto the caramel, and spread around.
4. You can garnish the top with extra shredded coconut, if ya wanna. 
5. Cover and place into the fridge to cool and set for at least one hour. 
6. Once your ready to serve this up, run a knife under hot water to warm the blade (the chocolate is easy to cut, but the caramel needs the hot knife), then slice and serve! 

   My super skeptical son, who almost automatically dislikes something he knows that I have made gluten free (even though I have far more successes than failures!!), devoured his piece, then asked for seconds. Then asked for some for breakfast the next day. 
   If you're looking to bring a pie to any Thanksgiving festivities this weekend, why not a paleo friendly pie! I know it's not "festive" (with pumpkins, apples, or the like), but it will make you thankful! And if you have gluten-free, or dairy-free or refined sugar free people in your family, they will be happy too!

   Happy Thanksgiving weekend my Canadian friends!!!  :)   

xoxo