My favorite gluten-free pie crust

From Gluten-Free Girl

My favorite gluten-free pie crust, adapted from Rebecca Reilly's Gluten-Free Baking

This recipe is only slightly adapted from the excellent, essential book, Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilly. Her recipes work, and they work well. Even more important, they aren't just content to be gluten-free and barely palatable, as so many of the earliest books on gluten-free cooking were. These recipes rock. I have made half a dozen foods out of this, and not a single person has been able to guess that these are gluten-free. If you don't own this book, and you have baking experience (it's clearly not for sheer beginners) you should buy it, now.

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon strong cinnamon (I use Saigon cinnamon from World Spice Merchants)
8 tablespooons (or, one stick) cold butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 ice-cold water, or enough to make the dough stick together

Mix together all the dry ingredients, including the sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into little pieces, about 1/2-inch thick and drop the pieces into the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fork, meld the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter has crumbled into pea-sized pieces.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Drop the egg and apple cider vinegar in, then stir them in, gently, with a fork, stirring from the center out. Once they are incorporated into the dry ingredients, slowly drizzle the ice-cold water into the mixture, a little at a time, then stirring to see if it has become dough yet. You do not want this dough to be too wet. Add water only it all coheres together.

At this point, drop the ball of dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. (Prepare this ahead, unless you want to wipe dough off the box of parchment paper later!) Place another piece of parchment paper, the same size, on top of the dough. Gently, smoosh the dough outward, equally in all directions, until it is a thick, round cake of dough, about the size of a pie plate.

Refrigerate the ball of dough, for as long as you can stand. Ideally, you would prepare the dough in the evening and refrigerate overnight. Take the dough out of the refrigerator at least twenty minutes before you want to work with it.

Leave the dough in the parchment-paper sandwich and roll it out. By rolling it, gently, between the pieces of parchment paper, you will not need to add more flour to the mix. Roll it out as thin as you can, then strip the top piece of parchment paper off the dough. Gently, lay your favorite pie plate on top of the dough, then flip the whole thing over. The dough should sag into the pie plate. You can crimp the edges at this point. If some of the dough falls off the sides, don't worry. Simply re-attach the pieces to the crust-to-be by pressing in with your fingers.

You can pre-bake the pie crust, if you like. With this pumpkin pie, however, I just pour the pumpkin filling directly in and bake it immediately. It works well.

Donna Jo's dream pastry

From Gluten-Free Girl

Now, there are ways to make an excellent gluten-free crust without buying a mix. And I'm certain that I'll be doing that soon too. But sometimes, buying all the individual flours, plus the xantham gum, can be a little spendy. However, if you have them in your house already, or you want to make the investment, here's the recipe that Melissa from Traveler's Lunchbox left me in the comments yesterday. It looks fabulous, and it comes originally from here.

1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch flour
1 rounded tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
dash sugar optional
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup butter flavored crisco
1 egg cold
1 Tblsp. GF vinegar
4 tablespoons of ice water
sweet rice flour for rolling

Blend together the flours, xanthan gum, salt, and sugar. Cut in the margarine and Crisco in small dabs until you have shortening the size of lima beans (not cornmeal).

Beat the egg using a fork; add the vinegar and ice water. Stir into the flour mixture, forming a ball. You may knead this a bit, since rice flour crusts can stand handling. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or more to chill.

Divide dough and roll out on a sweet rice-floured board (or on floured plastic wrap, for easier handling). Place in a pie tin. If using plastic wrap, remove it to the pie tin and invert the dough into the pan. Shape before removing the plastic. Bake as directed for the filling used.

For a baked crust, prick the pastry with a fork on sides and botton. Bake the crust in a pre-heated 450 oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until slightly browned. Cool before filling. Makes enough pastry for a 2-crust 9" pie plus 1 pie shell.

Lime meringue tart

From David Lebovitz

I once asked a restaurateur, who owns restaurants in European and in America, what he thought was the main difference between the food in American and the food in Europe.

"Everything's very sweet," he replied, right away.

I thought about it for a moment, and considering everyone's got their panties in a knot about all the sweeteners that are dumped into everything from tomato sauce, bottled salad dressings, to supermarket bread, he's got a point. A lot of stuff that doesn't need to be sweetened, is. But one thing that we Americans do like is tart citrus desserts. The tangier, the more mouth-puckering, the better.

Backing up his claim, though, we do tend to pile ours up to the moon with whipped cream or sweet meringue. So he does have a point.

Although I like a super-tart filling underneath all those billows of fluff.

The French are famous for their tarte au Citron, but it's hard to find one a tarte that's very tart. Jacques Genin, who makes a pretty zippy one, is considered one of the best of the lot in Paris. And he uses limes.

Try to find limes that are actually golden-yellow in color when shopping. The dark green limes you see are limes that have been picked unripe then gassed to guard that color. When limes are yellow and ripe, they have a softer flavor, with a hint of citrusy sweetness. Ethnic markets, especially those catering to Asians and Latinos, are great places to look for them. Key Limes, if you can find them, are the classic.

Reluctantly I'm the unofficial dessert ambassador around here, and there, so for the Lime Tart I made for a recent birthday picnic here in Paris, I chose to add ring of meringue around the perimeter of the tart, which pleased everyone.

Lime Meringue Tart

One 9-inch (22cm) tart; 8 servings

Ripe limes will yield a lot more juice than hard, underripe specimens. Like all citrus, when choosing them at the market, heft as many as you can (which in Paris, is normally interdit, although I try to sneak and do it anyways); the heaviest ones have the most juice. And be sure to squeeze limes that are at room temperature, rolling them firmly on the counter beforehand to rupture the juice sacs within to get as much juice out as possible.

Lemon-lovers can substitute lemon juice for the lime juice and reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon.

8 tablespoons (115g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
3/4 cup (180ml) freshly-squeezed lime juice (from about 5-6 limes)
3/4 cups (150g) sugar
zest of two limes, unsprayed (see Note)
pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
3 large eggs

2 large egg whites
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
pinch of salt
a few drops vanilla extract

One recipe French tart dough, pre-baked, or another favorite tart dough

Preheat the oven to 375º (180ºC.)

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the butter, lime juice, sugar, zest, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the yolks.

3. When the butter has melted and the mixture is warm, gradually pour some of the warm lime juice mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed eggs back into the saucepan and cook the mixture over low heat.

4. Stir the mixture constantly over low heat, using the whisk, until the filling thickens and begins to resemble soft jelly. Do not let it boil.

(For the intrepid, you can do this step in a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water instead of over direct heat.)

5. Remove from heat and scrape the filling into the pre-baked tart shell.

6. Bake for 10 minutes.

7. To make the meringue (see Note for alternative method), whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk it as it heats, checking it with an instant-read thermometer.

8. Once it reaches 140F (60C), transfer the bowl to the standing mixer and beat at high speed until cool, scraping down the sides once of the mixer bowl, midway during mixing, and add the vanilla. Whip until the meringue is light and fluffy.

9. Heat the broiler and move the oven rack to the top third of the oven.

10. Scraped the meringue into a pasty bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a ring around the perimeter of the tart. Or spread in a ring around the tart with a spatula.

11. Pop the tart under the broiler, watching carefully, as it will brown quickly. When the top begins to darken, remove the tart from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

Storage: The tart is best eaten the day it's made. You can refrigerate any leftovers. If you wish to make the lime filling in advance, you can make it and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Notes: If you'd like to make a standard meringue, you can simply whip the whites on high speed to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and the salt, while whipping on high speed, until the meringue is shiny and stiff. Beat in the vanilla, then pipe or spread over the tart.

A few people have inquired what I mean by "unsprayed" when referring to limes, and other citrus fruits. That means that the fruit is either organic, or grown in a manner where the outside hasn't been sprayed with pesticides. Because you're using the zest of the fruit, I think it's a good idea to choose fruits that haven't been treated in that manner.

Depending on where you live, fruit may not be designated 'organic', because of the cost of certification, but may be labeled with another term: transitional, unsprayed, pesticide-free, and untreated. When in doubt, ask the produce supplier.

Individual fresh berry gratins with zabaglione topping

From Cook's Illustrated

Serves 4. Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

When making the zabaglione, make sure to cook the egg mixture in a glass bowl over water that is barely simmering. Glass conducts heat more evenly and gently than metal. If the heat is too high, the yolks around the edges of the bowl will start to scramble. Constant whisking is required. Although we prefer to make this recipe with a mixture of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, you can use 3 cups of just one type of berry. Do not use frozen berries. A broilerproof pie plate or gratin dish can be used in place of the individual gratin dishes. To prevent scorching, pay close attention to the gratins when broiling.

Ingredients

Berry Mixture
3	cups mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries; strawberries stemmed and halved lengthwise if small, quartered if large), room temperature (see note)
2	teaspoons granulated sugar
	Pinch table salt
Zabaglione Topping
3	large egg yolks
3	tablespoons granulated sugar
3	tablespoons dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
2	teaspoons light brown sugar
3	tablespoons heavy cream , chilled

Instructions

1. 1. FOR THE BERRY MIXTURE: Toss berries, sugar, and salt together in medium nonreactive bowl. Divide berry mixture evenly among 4 shallow 6-ounce gratin dishes set on rimmed baking sheet. Set berries aside to release juices while preparing zabaglione.

2. 2. FOR THE ZABAGLIONE: Whisk egg yolks, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and wine in medium glass bowl until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (water should not touch bottom of bowl) and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is frothy. Following photos below, continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, creamy, and glossy, 5 to 10 minutes (mixture will resemble hollandaise and form loose mounds when dripped from whisk). Remove bowl from saucepan and whisk constantly for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Transfer bowl to refrigerator and chill until egg mixture is completely cool, about 10 minutes.

3. 3. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack 6 to 7 inches from heating element and heat broiler. Combine light brown sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in small bowl.

4. 4. In large bowl, whisk heavy cream until it holds soft peaks, 30 to 90 seconds. Using rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into cooled egg mixture. Spoon zabaglione over berries and sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over zabaglione; let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, until sugar dissolves into zabaglione.

5. 5. Broil until sugar is bubbly and caramelized, 1 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Stages of Zabaglione

1. LIQUID BEGINNING
Mixture starts out fluid and loose. Whisking develops foamy air bubbles, which lighten mixture as it heats.

2. DEVELOPING VOLUME
With further whisking and cooking, mixture expands, thickens, and begins to turn creamy.

3. SHINY AND THICK
Zabaglione is ready when glossy and creamy, with consistency resembling hollandaise sauce.

Lemon zabaglione topping
3	large egg yolks
3	tablespoons granulated sugar
2	tablespoons dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
1	tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1	teaspoon lemon zest , finely grated
2	teaspoons light brown sugar
3	tablespoons heavy cream , chilled

Honey-lavender zabaglione topping
1/4	cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
2	teaspoons dried lavender blossom
3	large egg yolks
2	tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2	teaspoon honey
2	teaspoons light brown sugar
3	tablespoons heavy cream , chilled

Buttermilk pecan pie with raisins

From Cook's Illustrated

Serves 8.

If you want warm pie, cool the pie thoroughly, then cut and warm it in a 250-degree oven for about twenty minutes. To make a buttermilk chess pie, omit the nuts and raisins. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.

Ingredients

Pie Shell
1 1/4	cups unbleached all-purpose flour , plus extra for dough and rolling surface
2	tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
8	tablespoons unsalted butter , chilled, cut into 1/4 -inch pieces
2	tablespoons vegetable shortening , frozen, cut into small pieces
1	large egg white , chilled, thoroughly mixed with ice water (about 2 tablespoons) to equal 1/4 cup
1	large egg yolk , beaten with 1/8 teaspoon water
Filling
6	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2	cups granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
3	large eggs
2/3	cup buttermilk
1/2	cup whole pecans (2 ounces), toasted and chopped into small pieces
1/2	cup raisins , chopped fine

Instructions

1. 1. For Pie Crust: Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter and shortening over dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, 10 to 15 seconds. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

2. 2. Sprinkle egg white mixture over flour mixture and, with blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together. Shape dough into ball with hands, then flatten into 4-inch disk. Dust dough lightly with flour, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

3. 3. Roll dough on lightly floured surface into 13-inch circle and transfer to 9-inch pie pan, preferably glass. Press dough into corners and sides of pan, being careful not to stretch dough. Trim edges of dough to make 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck overhanging dough under so that folded edge is flush with rim of pan. Flute edge, (see illustration 1).

4. 4. Chill shell until firm, about 1 hour. Prick sides and bottom with fork and line entire shell with heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing foil firmly against shell and extending it over fluted rim, (illustration 2). Prick foil with fork (illustration 3) and return shell to refrigerator while oven is heating.

5. 5. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, pressing once or twice with mitt-protected hands, if necessary, to flatten any puffing, until crust is firmly set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until bottom begins to color, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven, brush sides and bottom with egg yolk, and return to oven until yolk glazes over, about 1 minute longer. Remove from oven, and set aside while preparing the filling.

6. 6. Lower oven temperature to 275 degrees. Place pie shell in oven if not still warm.

7. 7. For Pie: Melt butter in medium heatproof bowl set in skillet of water maintained at just below simmer. Remove bowl from skillet; mix in sugar and salt with wooden spoon until butter is absorbed. Beat in eggs, then buttermilk. Return bowl to hot water; stir until mixture is shiny and warm to the touch, about 130 degrees. Remove from heat; stir in pecans and raisins.

8. 8. Pour mixture into warm shell; bake until center feels set yet soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer pie to rack; let cool completely, at least 4 hours. Serve pie at room temperature or warm, with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Crusts for Pecan and Pumpkin Pies

1. After pressing the dough into the pan and trimming it, flute the edges with your fingers.

2. Cover the dough with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing it against the crust.

3. Use a fork to prick holes through the aluminum foil on the bottom and sides of the pan.

Peach crisp with maple cream sauce

From The Pioneer Woman Cooks

I don’t know what to say. This is Gee’s recipe, and it’s so good, I…I…I feel like crying. Hold on, I’m going to go have a really good, cleansing cry.

I’m back. That was awesome. And so is this dadgum dessert, people. Make it now, or at the very least, by 2074. Deal? Deal.

The Cast of Characters: Fresh Peaches, Flour, Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Salt, Butter, Lemon, Maple Syrup, Whipping Cream, Light Corn Syrup. How could this go wrong?

Start with one cup flour.

Add to a medium bowl.

Now add 1/2 cup sugar…

And 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar.

Now add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon…

Now measure 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg…

And add it to the bowl.

Now add 1/4 teaspoon salt. (I used Kosher because earlier in the day I’d accidentally put my regular salt in the sink full of dishwater. Welcome to my life.) Regular salt is fine.

Now, with a fork…

Stir the mixture together.

Now take one stick (1/4 pound or 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup) regular butter.

And cut it into bits. This actually works much better if the butter is straight out of the fridge. This was a little soft because I’d left a sack of groceries in my car for two hours because I have a rebellious streak and like to leave one or two sacks of groceries in the car when I get home. Issues.

In any event, cut the butter into small pieces…

And add it into the bowl.

With a fork (or pastry cutter, whatever makes your skirt fly up), begin mixing the butter with the flour mixture.

Just gradually mush in the butter…

Until the butter is evenly mixed in. (If the butter had been cold, it would resemble coarse meal.)

Now peel and slice 5 to 6 cups fresh peaches. Best to use peaches that aren’t overly ripe or soft.

Now take 1/2 lemon…

And grate off the zest.

I’ve sung the praises of this microplane zester before; there’s nothing like it in the world. I’m thinking of proposing.

Add the zest to the peaches…

And squeeze in the juice from the lemon half.

Now take real maple syrup…(I’ve never used pancake syrup in this recipe, but it would probably do in a pinch.)

Add 2 tablespoons into the peaches.

Now stir the peaches well.

Now take a relatively small baking pan. This one’s about eight inches long, or you can use a 9-inch square pan. Anything is fine, as long as it isn’t huge.

Pour the peaches into the baking dish.

Now take the crumb topping…

And start sprinkling it over the top…

Until you’ve used it all.

Lightly even out mixture with a fork, but no need to get it perfect.

Now cover tightly with foil and pop into a 350-degree oven for fifteen minutes.

After fifteen minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until top is crisp (get it?) and brown. Sometimes I let it bake for 25 minutes or so, then crank on the broiler for a couple of minutes just to get the top nice and bubbly and crisp (get it?) If you do this, though, DO NOT walk away from the oven to answer the doorbell or change laundry loads. You’ll never forgive yourself.

While the peach crisp is baking, it’s time to make the maple cream sauce. (You can also make this earlier in the day, because it needs to be served chilled. I’ll tell you about my shortcut later, though.) Start with whipping cream (i.e. heavy cream.)

Measure 1 1/2 cups…

And pour into a small saucepan.

Now take that good ol’ maple syrup again…(Never mind the fingerprints. It’s all that butter, man.)

Add 5 tablespoons into the cream.

Now take light corn syrup…

Add 3 tablespoons.

Stir together and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and reduced by about 1/3. This should take about 15 minutes. No need to stir vigorously or anything; just enough to prevent sauce from sticking to the pan.

When you’re finished, it should look like this. And DO NOT taste it. It’s evil and lethal and rude.

Now. You can chill it in the fridge until it’s cold and thick. OR, you can take this shortcut: set the saucepan into a small bowl of ice. The ice will melt a little and turn to ice water, and as you stir the sauce, it will cool and thicken. Within about fifteen minutes, it’s cold!

Here’s what the peach crisp looks like when it’s all done.

And here it is, up close and personal.

When you’re ready to serve, just scoop out a nice big spoonful…(and it’s best to serve it warm.)

And place it on a plate.

Now take this deliciously cold, creamy, sweet, evil, decadent, ridiculous, sinful, ecstasy-inducing maple cream sauce…

And start drizzling it all over the peach crisp.

Don’t be shy…

Really let it flow.

I’m sorry, I know this is cruel.

But I believe in full disclosure. I just don’t think it would be fair for me to hold back any of these photos. I want you to know what you’re getting into.

I’m all about keepin’ it real, you know.