By Karen Robertson

Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

MAKES ONE 9½-INCH PIE

Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb complement one another. This recipe is always a summer favorite.

1½ cups sugar
¼ cup gluten-free flour blend of choice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (7 to 8 stalks cut into ½-inch pieces)
1 pound fresh strawberries, stemmed, cored and sliced in half
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy-free alternative, melted
2 pie crusts, one partially baked

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Combine sugar, flour blend and cinnamon in a small bowl.

3. Place prepared fruit in a large bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over fruit. Then gently toss fruit with sugar mixture to evenly coat.

4. Mound fruit into partially baked bottom crust. Drizzle butter over fruit.

5. Top filling with pie crust and crimp edges to seal.

6. Brush top crust with egg wash. Or brush with high-protein milk of choice and sprinkle with sugar.

7. Bake pie in preheated oven for one hour or until fruit is tender and crust is golden brown. If pie needs to bake longer, cover it lightly with foil to prevent over-browning.

Makes 10 slices. Each slice contains 467 calories, 21g total fat, 12g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 115mg cholesterol, 199mg sodium, 66g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 7g protein.

 

Allergy-Friendly Pie Crust

MAKES TWO 9½-INCH CRUSTS

Lard is an old-fashioned solution to egg-free, dairy-free pie crust. This natural fat can be a source of vitamin D. To impart a golden hue to the crust, see “Easy as Pie.”

1⅛ cups Gluten-Free Multi-Blend Flour Mix
⅔ cup finely ground gluten-free rolled oats
¾ cup + 1½ tablespoons millet flour
1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons sugar (omit for savory recipes, like quiche)
1 cup cold leaf lard or regular lard, cut into pieces
½ cup ice-cold water (more, as needed)
Wash for Top Crust
2-3 tablespoons high-protein milk of choice (soy, almond, hemp)
1 tablespoon sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine flour mix, oats, millet flour, xanthan gum, salt and sugar. Turn mixer off.

2. Drop lard by the tablespoonful onto dry ingredients. Turn mixer on low and combine ingredients. When lard has coated the flour and bits of lard are about the size of peas, slowly add the water in a stream, enough to moisten the dough (you might need a little more water). If dough starts to make a wet, whipping sound, add a few more tablespoons of flour a little at a time until you have a soft dough. (If mixing by hand, use a pastry blender to mix lard into dry ingredients; then gradually add water until a soft dough forms.)

3. Gather a bit more than half of the dough into a ball and shape it into a 6-inch disk for the top crust. Shape remainder into a 4-inch disk. If the dough becomes sticky, wrap both disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes before rolling out.

4. On a cool countertop, between two sheets of plastic wrap, roll the 4-inch disk into an 11-inch circle. While rolling, frequently flip the dough over and lift up plastic wrap to ensure dough isn’t sticking. Remove plastic wrap from one side. Pick up plastic wrap sheet with dough and place it, dough side down, into pie plate. Peel off plastic wrap.

5. Trim overhanging dough or tuck it under itself. Crimp the crust by pinching a V-shape every ½-inch around the edge.

6. To partially bake the crust, cover it with foil and heap dried beans or pie weights inside. Then place pie plate in the refrigerator while oven preheats to 400 degrees. Bake crust for 15 minutes or until edges turn golden. Allow crust to cool for a few minutes. Then remove foil and weights. If a crisp crust is desired, return crust to oven to bake uncovered for 3 more minutes. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes before filling with prepared fruit.

7. For a doubled-crusted pie, partially bake the bottom crust for 10 minutes to prevent sogginess. Roll out top crust to at least a 12-inch circle and place it on top of mounded fruit filling. Fold under the overhang of dough to create a thick edge around the pie. Crimp edges to seal. Cut 7 slits into the top crust for venting.

8. For a lattice top, roll out the second disk and cut into ¾-inch wide strips. Place half the strips horizontally and the rest vertically across the pie, weaving them together for a lattice look.

9. Brush the top crust with egg wash. For more about top crust washes, see “Easy as Pie,”.

10. Bake assembled pie in a 325-degree oven for one hour. Pie is done when a knife inserted meets with slight resistance but still easily penetrates the fruit. If pie bakes longer, cover loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.

TIP Leaf lard is a healthier choice than regular lard or a hydrogenated fat. It’s available at most local butcher shops or find it online at dietrichsmeats.com.

 

Gluten-Free Multi-Blend Flour Mix

This all-purpose blend can be tripled.

2¼ cups brown rice flour
¼ cup potato starch (not potato flour)
⅔ cup tapioca starch/flour
¾ cup sweet rice flour
⅓ cup cornstarch or sweet rice flour or potato starch

Combine ingredients thoroughly. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Read More on These Topics

• Celiac/Gluten Free
• Cooking
• Dessert