So what started our journey down the path to find the best recipe for gluten free apple pie?
Actually it was an email from one of you asking for a recipe. And even though we have made many gluten free pies over the last several years, I was not satisfied with the crust. Sure, they all tasted good, but what a pain the crust was to work with! After experimenting, we have come up with our favorite pie crust recipe and a great apple filling.
But before I get to this, I just need to sound off for a few minutes. If you are only interested in the recipe, then skip this section.
I have not been writing as much lately because, honestly, I have not know what to say. This is such a strange time for our country. With the kids gone at school during the day, I have flipped on my kitchen TV way too much and have been watching way too much news. It has made me feel off-balance.
Yesterday, I decided enough was enough - apparently we are on our way to "global recession" and unless something dramatic happens, Obama is our next president.
Instead of the news, I flipped over to Bravo yesterday and sadly watched an episode of the The Real Housewives of Atlanta - it was sickening how wrapped up they were in money. Money and lives wasted on things so trivial and meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
This morning instead of the news, I decided to flip on the Today show while I was unloading the dishwasher. Again, it was about how to shop on layaway so you can still afford all of those things that the media is telling you you need to feel fulfilled.
I do feel for those who have lost their homes and jobs, and you have to understand that my point of view is influenced by the fact thatt we live in one of the most affluent areas in the world, but I am tired of how so many people are wrapped up in spending, spending, spending.
Aren't their things more important to think about than this. Can't we all just take a break and slow down, appreciate what we have - the fall leaves, our health, our children.
Instead of going to the mall or to a movie or out to dinner, go for a walk with your kids, play a game on the living room floor, or, better yet, stay at home and bake a pie with your kids. You will have fun playing in the dough with your little ones, the wonderful satisfaction of creating something yourself, a great dessert and all for only a few dollars.
We have to take the good that we can out of our situation and, to me, this is yet another silver-lining of celiac disease. This diet has increased our appreciation of what we already have - our good health, our family time, home cooked meals shared together. If you feel this way as well, then you too have been blessed in ways that so many others who can eat anything are not.
Okay, so back to the pie. We really have tried numerous pie crust and they all have tasted good, but anyone who has made a gluten free pie crust knows how hard they can be to roll out. The crust just simply falls apart and you end up pushing it into the pan.
Well, not this recipe. It worked like magic - not easy, but easier to roll out, and oh so tasty. Where did I find the crust recipe? In my favorite gluten free cookbook,Gluten-Free Baking: More Than 125 Recipes for Delectable Sweet and Savory Baked Goods, Including Cakes, Pies, Quick Breads, Muffins, Cookies, and Other Delights.
I have tried so many recipes in this book, and they have consistently worked.
Gluten Free Pie Crust
For a double crust:
-
11/2 cups gluten free flour mix - ***For the gluten free flour mix we used 2 cups brown rice, 2/3 cup potato starch, and 1/3 cup tapioca starch. We actually triple this recipe, add it to a big container and use if for almost everything.
-
3 T sweet rice flour (you can get this from Ener-G)
-
2 t sugar
-
1/4 t salt
-
9 T cold unsalted butter (we used Earth Balance to make it casein free)
-
1 jumbo egg
-
1 T cider vinegar (Rebecca's recipe called for 1 1/2 T but that made it smell way too vinegary, so we dropped off 1/2 T - reduced the smell and it worked just fine)
Mix together the gluten free flour mix, sweet rice flour, sugar and salt.
Cut the butter into chunks (this is the part my son liked) using your fingertips work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a coarse meal.
Make a well in the middle and add the egg. Add the vinegar and using a fork, mix from the center out until you have a soft dough.
Divide in half and refrigerate if too soft to roll out.
The Apple Filing
-
3 large Granny Smith apples
-
4 large McIntosh apples
-
1 T lemon juice
-
1 t lemon zest
-
3/4 cup plus 1 T sugar
-
2 T gluten free flour
-
1/4 t grated nutmeg
-
1/4 t ground cinnamon
-
1/8 t allspice
-
1/4 t salt
-
1 egg white
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and place a baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Roll one half the dough to a 12 inch circle and transfer to the pie plate. Traditional recipes would call for you to roll it out on a lightly (rice) floured work surface. We have found it is easier to transfer the dough to the pie plate if you spray a piece of saran wrap with cooking oil and roll the crust out on the saran wrap. Refrigerate the dough lined pie plate.
Peel, core and quarter the apples. We have several apple trees on our property so last year we bought Back To Basics Apple and Potato Peeler
Toss the prepared apples with the lemon juice and zest.
In a medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup sugar, flour, spices and salt.
Toss the dry ingredients with the apples and turn into the chilled pie shell. Slightly mound in the center.
Roll out the second piece of dough to a 12 inch circle and place over the filling. Trim and flute the edge to hold together with a fork. Cut 4 slits in the top of the pie. (This is a home made pie, so it doesn't have to look perfect.)
Brush the top with a lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1 T sugar.
Place on the cookie sheet and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
Rotate the pie and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Continue baking until the juices bubble and the crust is a deep golden brown, 30 minutes longer.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Serve with vanilla soy or ice cream.
Okay I have a few last comments about our current economic situation and if you are tired of listening to my soap box, then you can stop reading now.
My parents (jokingly) blame it on HG TV - everyone wants their homes to look like those on TV.
More seriously, I think God puts his thumbprint on anything that we worship more than Him (you can draw your own conclusions from this).
Lastly, "things" you can buy will never leave you feeling satisfied, but on the other hand, a home made gluten free pie . . ..
