Saturday, December 1, 2012

Gluten Free Pie Crust, Part II

OK, I made another gluten free pie last night and this time I actually took pictures.  This should help as a supplement to my last post.

I made the two pie crusts per the recipe in the last post, this time I used shortening instead of butter and it was waaaaaaaaaay better.  The shortening and xanthan gum really make it stay together instead of crumbling apart.  Then I wrapped both crusts in plastic wrap after shaping them into discs and put them in the fridge.  I was intending to make the pie later, but then the water line behind our fridge burst, and then a knitting student showed up for a lesson, so the pie got put off, which is okay because the crusts got to chill overnight so they were super ready for rolling.


I used a silicone mat on top of my pie rolly-outy mat (that's a technical term there). The pie mat protects the crust from rolling out over the edge of the silicone mat and getting stuck to the counter.  The silicone mat is handy for flipping the crust over into the pie pan so it doesn't crack and break into pieces (since GF pastries are inclined to crumble, though this one did remarkably well at staying in one piece).  Then I just gently peeled away the sil-mat.

Here I have the top crust on now (after finishing the bottom crust, pricking it with a fork, and adding the peach pie filling).  I trimmed the edges, pressed to seal them, and then used a fork to make a pretty edge.  Then I cut slits in the top in a pretty pattern to let the steam escape.  Almost done.

I brushed the top with some melted butter.  I've also been told you can use milk; I just happened to use butter.  Then I covered the edges with aluminum foil to keep them from burning and........

...popped it in the oven at 375 for about 1 hour 20 minutes, checking it every 10 minutes after the first 55 (I live at a high altitude, so my cooking time is long; I think normal time would be around 55-60 minutes).  I took the foil off the last 10 minutes.  I have got to remember to put a baking sheet under it next time, because it oozed glaze and now I have to clean the oven rack and replace my oven liner.  NEVER go without an oven liner, trust me!  ALWAYS have one in the oven!

Et voila!  That is a good lookin' pie! I could have probably browned it a bit more if I'd given it another 10 minutes or so, but I'd rather not have any burnt or dried out crust.  I like it just the way it is.  I'll serve it with whipped cream or ice cream tonight at dinner.

Viva la gluten free!






3 comments:

  1. OK, so now that I've made one crust with butter and one with shortening, I will say that I think I prefer the butter one. There was something in the flavor (even though it was unsalted butter). And the one made with shortening seemed more crumbly after being cooked. The butter one stayed together better when serving. Try it both ways and see what you think of it. I think both were good, I just prefer the butter.

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  2. Sarah,
    Is that silicon mat a see-through mat ? I just use plastic wrap on top, but then I cannot flip it over, like you could a silicone mat. I am going to try your pie crust recipe for a pecan pie. If that is a see-through mat - where do you get them?

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  3. The silicone mat is a little sturdier, so you can use it to flip over the pie crust. It's not specifically see-through, but it's thin enough that you can see through it well enough to see the lines of the rolling mat underneath. Mine is a Tupperware mat that I've had forever, but you can also just get them at Walmart or Target or any kitchen goods store. They're worth every penny.

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