Spring. Living in Canada, you come to truly adore the changing of the seasons. Its f#$%in cold for a big chunk of the year so when grass ...

Spring. Living in Canada, you come to truly adore the changing of the seasons. Its f#$%in cold for a big chunk of the year so when grass peeks its way out from under the snow, people break out their flip flops. I wish I was joking. Generally with the first signs of Spring (a few days above zero, a day above 10 degrees (!), sunshine) people dress as if Spring is in full swing. It can be a little ridiculous, but also encouraging in a weird way. Think t-shirts in 5 degree weather...Me, I bake.

Today was a beautiful day, Saturday, and I spent it working from home -- a familiar story these days. By "working" I mean working for my clients and working on this blog. I have to be honest, I have been slacking a little with Baking Backwards. I take food photos weekly for one of my clients now for their social accounts and by the time I take a moment to shoot my own creations I'm tapped out of inspiration and my photos start to look just "ok" -- not great to me. When I woke up today I went for a run and committed to the idea that I would come home, bake something crazy and try my best to at least style the photos. Amazingly I did it!









I am a big fan of moody food photography. I love black backdrops and bright food paired together in gloomy lighting. Hence, today's photos. Have ever heard of Linda Lomelino ? I really love her food photography style. Everything she shoots looks so elegant and mysterious, not to mention delicious as f#$%.

My pie today was a bit of a tricky subject. I feel like the lovely mellow green colour of the filling was lost by my camera. It really is a pastel green but not as faint as it appears in these photos. You'll have to make this delicious pie to see for yourself!





Today's recipe is as tasty as it is healthy. Its full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre, vegan protein, and good fats. The pie filling has two super healthy hidden ingredients -- avocado and...CAULIFLOWER! Yes, cauliflower. Strange sounding I know, but trust me this filling is so creamy and delicious. The crust is very healthy as well featuring whole buckwheat groats, raw cacao powder, dates, figs, olive oil and coconut oil. The whole dessert is naturally sweetened with dried fruit, stevia and maple syrup. No refined sugar for me. It is creamy as hell but totally vegan. The healthy shortcrust is chewy, chocolatey and very sturdy meaning you can eat it out of your hand instead of needing a plate.













If you like key lime pie but are looking for a healthy alternative, this recipe is for you. No guilt required at all.

HEALTHY KEY LIME PIE WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST

Chocolate Crust:

1 cup raw buckwheat

3-4 dried figs

3-4 medjool dates

2 tbsp maple syrup

Pinch of stevia or a couple drops liquid stevia

Pinch of salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp cacao powder

1.5 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp evoo

1/4 cup water

Add everything but water to food processor and pulse till evenly crumbly. Add water, just enough to moisten the dough and blend. Wet your hands and press the dough into a short crust pie dish. Bake in a 400 F oven until firm.





Key Lime Filling:

2.5 cups steamed and cooled cauliflower florets

1/2-2/3cup fresh lime juice

Big pinch of pink salt

Stevia, to taste

1.5cup ripe avocado flesh, not mashed

3 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp liquid sweetener (I used raw honey because I consume it but if you are a strict vegan substitute agave or coconut nectar or brown rice syrup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract