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 Thanksgiving
just wouldn’t be complete without those anxiously awaited
delicious holiday desserts. This season we’ve taken the
worry and uncertainty out of baking gluten-free with four
new incredible holiday pies that are guaranteed to fool even
the biggest gluten-free critic!
We have to admit there was a time, shortly
after the diagnosis of Celiac disease that the thought of
making a gluten-free pie (and actually serving it to people
without gluten intolerance) was a frightening concept! After
all, what’s a pie without a buttery, flaky crust —
made with wheat — of course! Well, after several attempts
and identifying the right ingredients we disproved that fact
by creating the perfect gluten-free pie crust that tastes
just as it should — perfectly flaky and buttery —
one that could even fool Betty Crocker!
We developed this pie crust several years
ago and have found it to deliver consistent results. It even
has received 2 five star ratings by our subscribers.
Basic Pie Crust
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cup gf flour*
- 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut
into small pieces
- 2 Tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
Directions:
Place the gf flour and salt in a medium
bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter and
shortening into the flower and salt mixture until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and
mix just until incorporated. Continue to add more ice water
as needed, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth
dough. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic
wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly
gf floured surface. (We use an extra large Silpat - a sort
of "rubber" non-stick mat - which really helps prevent the
dough from sticking to the bottom surface.) Lightly flour
the surface of the dough with gf flour. Roll the pastry to
a large round, about 12-inches in diameter. Transfer to a
deep 9-inch pie dish, trim to within 1/2 inch of the pan,
and crimp decoratively. You may find that the outer edges
will break off before you can fold them under and crimp -
just use excess dough and press onto the outer edge to form
and even edge then crimp. Prick with a fork, cover and refrigerate
for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake for 15-30 minutes or until light brown in color. Remove
from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Fill with your favorite pie filling.
*Note: We used The
Gluten Free Pantry’s Country French Bread mix flour
for the gf flour in this recipe. This is very important! We
have tried many different flour combinations and many different
gf all purpose flours and have found this flour mix to deliver
the best results. You can purchase it in bulk so the end cost
is less than the combined cost of purchasing various gf flours
and binders and mixing it on your own.
This month the chef’s at Glutenfreeda.com
bring you four special holiday pies. The first is a Maple
Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Rum Cream Topping. This pie is
the perfect combination of maple sugar, spice and pumpkin
and is topped with a delightful rum cream sauce. Next we bring
you a Butterscotch
Mousse Pie. This slightly unusual, but delicious pie consists
of a crust that is actually a fallen soufflé —
so the crust is airy and light, rather than flaky and buttery.
The fallen soufflé is then filled with a velvety butterscotch
pudding and topped off with slightly sweetened whipped cream
and dusted with cinnamon! Our third pie is a Coconut
Pie. A flaky crust filled with sweetened coconut —
a family favorite! And last but not least, we bring you a
Deep Dish
Cranberry Pie. A perfect combination of sweet and tart,
this pie is not only beautiful but is also delicious. And
for an added touch — top off this cranberry pie with
a honey cream sauce for a rich and divine finish.
- Glutenfreeda
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