Category Archives: Pies

GFDF Blueberry Pecan Crumble Pie

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Pies, Soy Free, Vegan

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One of the things that I unfortunately had to remove from my diet in January was egg.  IgG sensitivity testing showed that I was reacting to both chicken and duck eggs, and given the foods I was reacting to, that made sense.  I’ve had problems with eggs before, but not when I was gluten sensitive.  This is creating a whole new cooking and baking challenge for me.

For my birthday this year, I decided to go for a pie in part because I haven’t done a lot of eggless GFDF baking yet and partially because Whole Foods had organic blueberries on sale for $1.99 a pint last Friday.  We had plenty of blueberries left for a pie.

This recipe is based on another GF blueberry pie recipe I had, but the idea of a pecan crumble came into my head while I was standing in the kitchen this morning.  It tastes fantastic.  I highly recommend it.  To make the pecan meal, my daughter ground up a bunch of pecan pieces in a coffee bean grinder that I normally use for grinding flax and other seeds.  The meal isn’t perfectly smooth, but it works well for this purpose.

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GFDF Blueberry Pecan Crumble Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie

Crust:
5 tablespoons organic brown rice flour
5 tablespoons sorghum flour
5 tablespoons almond meal
5 tablespoons organic tapioca starch
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup organic palm shortening
About 1/4 cup water

Crumb Topping:
6 tablespoons organic brown sugar
3/4 cup organic pecan meal*
1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons organic palm shortening

Filling:
2/3 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup organic cornstarch
Zest of one medium organic lemon
Juice of one medium organic lemon
5 cups fresh organic blueberries, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the crust, stir together the flours, starch, xanthan gum, salt, and cream of tartar.  Cut the palm shortening into the flour mix.  Slowly add the water to the flour mixture until the dough is formed but a bit crumby. You may not need all the water or you may need more depending on the day.  Press the crust into a 9” pie pan.

In the same emptied bowl, cut in the shortening into the rest of the crumb topping ingredients.  You will get a moist crumbly mixture.  Set aside.
Mix together the blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, and sugar.  Pour into the pie crust.  Top with the crumb topping.

Put the pie on a cookie sheet as it will very likely bubble over while baking.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking for an additional 20-30 minutes until the crumb topping is browned and the blueberry filling is bubbling.

*Use a coffee bean grinder or other grinding machine to make a course flour out of organic pecans.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com

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GFDF Pumpkin Pie

29 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Pies, Soy Free, Vegetarian

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There’s a red feather coming out of the pumpkin on the left. I was afraid to look inside and find out what it is.

When my kids were young, they had both soy and dairy sensitivities.  When I tried to find a replacement recipe for a traditional pumpkin pie, all of the non-dairy recipes substituted tofu which didn’t work for us.  I spent many years honing this recipe.  It doesn’t taste like a pumpkin pie made with condensed sweetened milk, but it is really good.  My kids adore it.  We make it all year, not just in the fall.  Amazon carries the organic canned pumpkin year ’round.

At one point I baked my own fresh pumpkin and made a pie out of that.  I couldn’t tell the difference and neither could my kids.  For the amount of work it took to bake and puree the pumpkin, I decided to stick with canned pumpkin.

Please note this recipe requires overnight refrigeration before serving.

Confession time:  The pie pictured above is in a gluten containing crust.  The gluten free crust comes out looking very similar, I promise!

GFDF Pumpkin Pie

9 Inch Crust:
1/4 cup organic tapioca starch
1/4 cup organic brown rice flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup almond meal*
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 c organic palm shortening
1 organic egg
Water as needed

Filling:
1-15 ounce can organic pumpkin
2/3 cup organic sucanat
2 organic eggs
3/4 cup organic rice milk
1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon organic ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon organic salt
1/4 teaspoon organic ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425F.

For the crust:  Mix together the tapioca starch, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, almond meal, xanthan gum, ½ t cinnamon, and ¼ t salt.  Cut in the shortening.  Lightly beat the egg and then add to the flour mixture.  If needed, add additional water until the crust is moist and forming a dry ball.  Press the pie crust into a 9” pie pan.  Set aside.

For the filling:  Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl with a whisk.  Pour into the pie crust.  Bake for 15 min at 425; reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40 min.  Bake on a cookie sheet to avoid spills.

Allow to cool and then refrigerate overnight before serving.

*Almonds are technically not nuts but contain a cross-contamination risk.  To make this nut free, substitute millet flour.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com

GFDF Fresh Blueberry Pie

31 Thursday May 2012

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Costco had organic blueberries available over the weekend, so blueberry pie made it onto the menu for the week.  Both the 9 inch and 10 inch versions of the recipe are below.

GFDF Fresh Blueberry Pie, 9 inch version
Makes one 9” blueberry pie.

Crust
½ cup organic tapioca starch
½ cup organic brown rice flour
½ cup almond meal
½ cup sorghum flour
½ teaspoon organic cinnamon
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup organic palm shortening
1 organic egg

Filling
4 cups fresh organic blueberries
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice (sugar)
7 tablespoons organic cornstarch
1 tablespoons organic evaporated cane juice (sugar)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix the starch, flours, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt.  Cut the palm shortening into the flour mixture.  In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg.  Slowly add the egg until the mixture forms a solid dough.  You may not need the entire egg, or you may need to add a small amount of water to make the dough the right consistency.  Divide the dough into two pieces, roughly a 60-40 split.  Pat the 60% dough into a 9” pie pan.  Set aside the 40% dough.

In a covered medium saucepan, cook the blueberries and 1 cup sugar over medium heat until they lose a large amount of juice (5-10 minutes).  Pull out about a cup of the filling, allow to cool slightly, and quickly stir in the cornstarch.  Add back in the cornstarch mixture, stirring well.  Allow to continue cooking uncovered until the filling is thickened.  Add additional water or cornstarch as necessary to get the consistency correct.

Pour the filling into the bottom pie crust.  Using your hands, flatten out the reserved dough and make a mosaic of pie crust on top of the filling, covering as completely as possible.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Cover the pie with foil and bake for 15 minutes on top of a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.  Remove the foil and bake for approximately an additional 30 minutes (45 minutes total) or until golden brown.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com

GFDF Fresh Blueberry Pie, 10 inch version
Makes one 10” blueberry pie.

Crust
2/3 cup organic tapioca starch
2/3 cup organic brown rice flour
2/3 cup almond meal
2/3 cup sorghum flour
3/4 teaspoons organic cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons xanthan gum
1.5 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup organic palm shortening
1 organic egg
A few tablespoons of water

Filling
5 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries
1 1/3 cups organic evaporated cane juice (sugar)
½ cup + 1 tablespoon organic cornstarch
1.5 tablespoon organic evaporated cane juice (sugar)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix the starch, flours, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt.  Cut the palm shortening into the flour mixture.  In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg.  Add the egg into the flour mixture.  Slowly add enough water to make the pie dough stick together but not become gooey.  Divide the dough into two pieces, roughly a 60-40 split.  Pat the 60% dough into a 10” pie pan.  Set aside the 40% dough.

In a covered medium saucepan, cook the blueberries and 1.3 cups sugar over medium heat until they lose a large amount of juice (5-10 minutes).  Pull out about a cup of the filling, allow to cool slightly, and quickly stir in the cornstarch.  Add back in the cornstarch mixture, stirring well.  Allow to continue cooking uncovered until the filling is thickened.  Add additional water or cornstarch as necessary to get the consistency correct.

Pour the filling into the bottom pie crust.  Using your hands, flatten out the reserved dough and make a mosaic of pie crust on top of the filling, covering as completely as possible.  Sprinkle with the remaining additional sugar.

Cover the pie with foil and bake for 15 minutes on top of a cookie sheet to catch any overflow.  Remove the foil and bake for approximately an additional 30 minutes (45 minutes total) or until golden brown.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com

GF Strawberry Pie with Shortbread Crust

24 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in Gluten Free, Pies, Soy Free, Vegetarian

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One of the staff members at my chiropractor’s office has been talking about the strawberry pie that she used to make with a shortbread crust.  I finally attempted to make one, and I am glad I did.  It’s amazing.  The shortbread crust really bumps it up a notch beyond the other strawberry pies I make.

This pie came out really oozy as the picture above demonstrates.  I am trying to get away from my perfectionist tendencies, so I’m posting a picture of oozy pie.  But it’s a delicious oozy.  Just watch out overnight in the fridge because the ooziness may multiply and spill all over the bottom shelf.  Not that it happened to me or anything.  I think this is a pie that is best made in a deep dish pan.  One of my 9″ pie pans is slightly deeper than the other and it withheld the oozing a bit better.

And the picture below?  Yes, it’s a rectangular pan for a pie.  I ran out of 9″ pie pans when I was cooking yesterday, so I turned to this great site to figure out which other pan of mine would work.  While the pie below is one I gave away, I’m betting it came out just as tasty in rectangular form as the round ones did!

Gluten Free Strawberry Pie with Shortbread Crust

Makes one 9” pie.  Inspired by Cooks.com and Allrecipes.com.

Crust:
6 tablespoons organic tapioca starch
6 tablespoons organic brown rice flour
6 tablespoons sorghum flour
6 tablespoons almond meal
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
3 tablespoons organic light brown sugar
3 tablespoons organic powdered sugar
½ cup (1 stick) organic salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 organic egg
1/2 teaspoon organic GF vanilla extract

Filling:
About 3.5 cups sliced organic strawberries plus about 1.5 cups diced strawberries
3/4 c organic granulated sugar
5 teaspoons organic cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Optional topping:
1 cup organic whipping cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425F.

To make the crust, mix together all of the ingredients on the crust list.  I used a stand mixer, but it could be done by hand.  It will make a soft dough similar to a cookie dough.  Using your hands, press into a 9” (preferably deep dish) pie pan.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 425F.  The center of the crust may poof up, but press it down when it comes out of the oven and all will be fine.  Set aside to cool.

Mash the 1.5 cups of diced strawberries.  Add them and the sugar to a small pan.  Blend the cornstarch with the water and combine with the strawberries and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce to simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.

Place the 3.5 cups of sliced strawberries in the pie crust.  Cover with the glaze mixture.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

If desired, beat the whipping cream with 6T of powdered sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer.  Continue beating until the cream is stiff.  Serve with the pie.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com

GF Apple Coconut Crumb Pie

22 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Pies, Soy Free, Vegetarian

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At one point in time, this recipe began as the Betty Crocker 40th Anniversary French Apple Pie.  However, the crumb topping just didn’t quite have the flavor I wanted once I converted it to a gluten free recipe.  I got the inspiration one afternoon to add coconut to the topping, and it made a huge and delicious difference.  This is now a favorite recipe of mine even though I’m not a huge apple pie person.

GF Apple Coconut Crumb Pie
Makes one 10” pie

Crust
1/3 c organic millet flour
1/3 c organic brown rice flour
1/3 c organic tapioca starch
1/2 c sorghum flour
3/4 t xanthan gum
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 c organic palm shortening
1 organic egg
3-4 t water

Filling
8 cups of peeled and thinly sliced organic apples (about 8 apples)
1/4 c organic granulated cane sugar
1/4 c organic sucanat
1/3 c organic cornstarch
1/4 t sea salt
1 t organic cinnamon
1 t organic nutmeg

Crumb Topping
1/4 c organic millet flour
1/4 c organic brown rice flour
1/4 c organic tapioca starch
1/4 c sorghum flour
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/2 c organic light brown sugar, packed
1/2 c (one stick) organic salted butter, softened to room temperature*
1 c organic shredded coconut

Directions

Peel and slice the apples and add the sucanat and cane sugar to them in an oven-proof bowl.  Place them in the oven at 425F while it preheats to get them softening a bit.

Mix together the dry ingredients for the crust.  Cut the palm shortening in with a fork.  Whisk the egg in a bowl and then mix it into the dough.  Add water until the dough is moistened enough to stay together but isn’t goopy.  Place the dough in a 10” pie pan.  Using your fingers, press it into the pan along the bottom and sides.  Set aside.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the crumb topping.  I find it easiest to mix with my hands. It will be a bit on the dry side.  Set aside.

Pull the apples and sugars out of the oven.  Being careful of the hot bowl, add the remainder of the filling ingredients to the apples.  Stir well.  Pour the filling into the pie crust.  Top with the crumb topping.

Place the pie on a cookie sheet (to help with any spillovers) and cover with foil.  Bake at 425F for about 50 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the crumb topping.  If the apple juices are not bubbling up on the sides at this point, re-cover with foil and put it back in the oven in 5 minute increments until it is bubbling and juicy.

*To make this recipe dairy free, substitute palm shortening for the butter. It won’t be quite as flavorful, but it will still be good.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com

GFDF Strawberry Pie for Pi Day

14 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Pies, Soy Free, Vegetarian

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strawberry pie with a wheat crust

(Recipe edited on 5/22/12)

The previously promised roasted carrots post got bumped to tomorrow in honor of Pi (3.14) Day.  We’re on spring break around here, so keeping track of the exact date hasn’t been high on my list of priorities!

This is one of two strawberry pies that I make.  The other is a double crust recipe.  And then there is strawberry rhubarb pie… yum!  That recipe will be posted when rhubarb starts showing up at the market.

This particular pie is really sweet. I’ve made it in a gluten crust for my boys several times recently, but I hadn’t made a gluten free one for me to eat until today.  I just tried it, and it is really good, but I could only handle a small amount.  My blood sugar is going to complain about even that.  Time to go eat some protein!

The recipes for gluten free and wheat crusts are below.  The filling is the same for both.

Strawberry Pie, Gluten Free Crust

Makes one 9” pie

Crust:
¼ c organic tapioca starch
¼ c organic brown rice flour
¼ c sorghum flour
¼ c almond meal*
½ t xanthan gum
¼ t salt
1/3 c organic palm shortening**
1 organic egg
Water as needed

Filling:
About 3.5 cups sliced organic strawberries plus about 1.5 cups diced strawberries
3/4 c organic granulated sugar
5 t organic cornstarch
1/4 c water

To make the crust, cut the shortening (and butter if using) into the flours, xanthan gum and sea salt.  Add the egg and enough water to moisten to dough consistency.  Place the dough into a 9” pie pan and use your fingers to spread it evenly.  Poke holes in the bottom and bake at 475 for 7-9 minutes.  Set aside.

Mash the 1.5 cups of diced strawberries.  Add them and the sugar to a small pan.  Blend the cornstarch with the water and combine with the strawberries and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce to simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.

Place the 3.5 cups of sliced strawberries in the pie crust.  Cover with the glaze mixture.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Optional serving suggestion:  whipped cream

*If you want this to be nut free (though almonds aren’t a true nut but carry the risk of cross-contamination), substitute organic millet flour for the almond meal.

** If you are not dairy free, 1/6 cup palm shortening and 1/6 cup organic butter softened to room temperature make for a better crust.  However, it still works great to use 1/3 cup palm shortening.

We can pretend like these just came out of my kids’ garden, but they didn’t.

Strawberry Pie, Wheat Crust

Makes one 9” pie

Crust:
1/3 c organic palm shortening**
1/4 t sea salt
1/2 c organic all purpose flour
1/2 c organic whole wheat pastry flour
Water

Filling:
About 3.5 cups sliced organic strawberries plus about 1.5 cups diced strawberries
3/4 c organic granulated sugar
5 t organic cornstarch
1/4 c water

To make the crust, cut the shortening into the flours and sea salt.  Add water to moisten to dough consistency.  Roll out using additional flour to prevent sticking to the counter and put in a 9” pie pan.  Poke holes in the bottom and bake at 475 for 8-10 minutes.  Set aside.

Mash the 1.5 cups of diced strawberries.  Add them and the sugar to a small pan.  Blend the cornstarch with the water and combine with the strawberries and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce to simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, continuing to stir frequently.

Place the 3.5 cups of slice strawberries in the pie crust.  Cover with the glaze mixture.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Optional serving suggestion:  whipped cream

** If you are not dairy free, 1/6 cup palm shortening and 1/6 cup organic butter softened to room temperature make for a better crust.  However, it still works great to use 1/3 cup palm shortening.

GF Lemon Chess Pie

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Gluten Free, Pies, Soy Free, Vegetarian

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Last week, my son T not so subtly said to me at the breakfast table, “I like pie.”  I asked him, “3.1415…?” He laughed and said, yes, he liked that pi, too (and he has it memorized to 28 decimal places at this point, so he really does like it), but he meant the kind of pie you eat.  I asked him what kind of pie he liked, and he said without hesitation, “Pumpkin.”  Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to making it for him last week.

Yesterday at breakfast, T once again announced, “I like pie.”  I again asked what kind he liked.  He replied, “Lemon.”  Since we had lemons on the counter that needed to get used up and I wanted to make a gluten free version of this pie so I could try it, T got his lemon pie yesterday.

This pie is intensely flavorful.  I like things like lemon cake and lemon bread, but this was too much for me.  I could only handle about two bites.  If you love lemon, then it’s for you.  All three lemon-loving males in the household love it.

When it comes to water measurements for pie crusts, I find them hopelessly useless.  I always get a small glass of water and slowly add it a tablespoon or so at a time (just dumping it in, not measuring) until I get the dough to the right consistency.  The dough should be soft enough to hold together in a ball shape but not so soft that it’s gooey.  Whatever water is left in the glass after the dough is made, I drink.  It gets more water in me which is always a good thing.

Pi to 28 decimal places as written in sidewalk chalk in front of our house

Gluten Free Lemon Chess Pie

Filling recipe barely changed from Phoo-d.com; pie crust of my own creation.

Makes 1- 9″ Pie

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups organic granulated sugar
Zest of 3 large organic lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
Juice of 3 large organic lemons (about ¾ cup)
5 large organic eggs
1/3 cup organic salted butter, melted and cooled

Crust ingredients:
5 tablespoons organic brown rice flour
5 tablespoons organic tapioca starch
5 tablespoons almond meal
5 tablespoons sorghum flour
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup organic palm shortening
1 organic egg
water

Directions:
To make the pie crust, stir together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, almond meal, sorghum flour, xanthan gum and sea salt.  Cut the shortening into the flour using a fork until the mixture is crumbly.  Beat the egg in a small bowl and then stir into the flour mixture.  Slowly add water about a tablespoon at a time to moisten the dough.  It should form a ball but not be sticky.  Scoop the dough into a 9” pie pan and use your fingers to press it into the pan. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter in a food processor, and blend using an s-blade until combined.  Slowly add in the eggs (I use a 2 cup measuring cup to pour them in) while the food processor is running.

Pour the filling into the pie shell.  Carefully transfer the pie into the oven to avoid any spills.  Bake until the filling begins to brown, about 45 minutes.

Cool the pie and serve.  We prefer to refrigerate ours before eating.

©NaturallyElizabeth.com