I love to cook. I am passionate about finding, creating and sharing delicious recipes.
My philosophy is to keep it sustainable by using local, organic ingredients and healthy by exploring vegetarian, vegan and raw options.
Living on the Big Island of Hawaii and participating in organic farming I am blessed to have access to loads of local goodies. With all of this on the plate deliciousness fallows naturally!
Summertime on the Big I means fresh tropical fruit. Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) is one of my favorites. I found a family at the Hilo Farmers Market that sells fresh frozen lilikoi juice by the quart! Eureka! My baked goods have not been the same since...
(If you do not have lilikoi these are equally delicious with just lemon. Simply replace the lilikoi juice with lemon using a total 1/3 cup of juice.)
Vegan Lilikoi Lemon Bars
Crust:
½ cup non-hydrogenated, dairy free butter such as Earth Balance (or organic unsalted butter), softened
¼ cup organic sugar
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. ground raw vanilla bean or vanilla extract
Filling:
½ cup silken tofu (or 1 apple banana, 1/3 cup water and 2 Tbsp. egg replacer such as EnerG)
1 cup organic sugar
¼ cup lilikoi juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemon (just the yellow part, white part is bitter)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. unbleached white flour
Sifted powdered sugar for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease an 8x8 baking dish.
2. Combine dairy free butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with a hand mixer. Add flour and vanilla mixing until just combined. Press slightly stiff dough evenly into baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on edges. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a blender or food processor blitz tofu (or water, banana and egg replacer) and sugar until smooth. Add juices, zest, cornstarch and flour and blitz until just combined. Pour mixture into pan over crust and bake for 30 more minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.
4. Cut into squares and serve dusted with sifted powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Yields: About 8 servings
