Gluten Free Apple Pie in a ‘Bag’

So I just made apple pie for the first time and WOW was this recipe good!  I found one almost just like it in my old church cookbook as well so I decided to try it.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

Pie Filling

Topping

Directions:

  1. Roll out pie crust out and place into a pie dish.  Cut off any excess pie crust.
  2. Make the pie filling by stirring all ingredients except for the Graham Cracker Crumbs and set aside.  (I liked to put the lemon juice in a bowl while I was slicing the apples up and stirring them in as I sliced them to keep them from browning, then I added the other ingredients.)

    Apple Pie Filling

    Apple Pie Filling

  3. Make the topping by mixing all ingredients until you have a sticky soft dough.
  4. Assemble the pie by first sprinkling evenly the graham cracker crumbs on top of the pie crust, follow by the filling piled in a mound shape.
    Apple Pie with Filling Mound up

    Apple Pie with Filling Mound up

    Pinch off pieces of the topping mixture and place over the pie filling, trying to completely cover the filling.

    Apple Pie before baking

    Apple Pie before baking

  5. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  6. Tear off enough parchment paper to completely wrap the pie in.
    1. If your parchment paper is wide enough (about 15 inches wide) you only need one piece.  Wrap piece with the ends meeting under the pie.  Fold both open ends and staple or paperclip them shut so that you make a pocket for the pie to cook in.
    2. If your parchment paper isn’t wide enough, take two 30 inch long pieces and place them in a cross shape on your work surface.  Place pie on top.  Fold pieces up and staple or paper clip them to make a pocket.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.  Do not break open or peek inside while baking.  Once the hour is up, remove from oven and cut open the paper to let cool.  Serve still warm.

YUM!

Baked Apple Pie

Baked Apple Pie

Note:  My pie crust got too brown.  Next time I’m going to protect it with an aluminum foil ring over the crust.

apple_pie_baked_sliced

Slice of Apple Pie

Slice of Apple Pie

 

 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

This Recipe is based upon the one off of Pacific’s box.  It turned out great!

Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked 9 inch Gluten Free Pie Crust bottom
  • One Carton Pacific Natural Foods Pumpkin Puree
  • 5oz Evaporated Milk
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cloves

Make one pie crust either according to the Gluten Free Crust Recipe or use 1/2 tub of Pillsbury Pie Crust.

Beat eggs in large bowl and mix in sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves.  Gently stir in pumpkin and evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated 425 oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie - As you can see, it didn't last long!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie – As you can see, it didn’t last long!

Gluten Free Pie Crust

This recipe makes a double pie crust and isn’t any different from a gluten pie crust other than the GF flour!  If you need just a bottom shell, just divide the ingredients in half.

Our preferred flour is Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour, 22-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4).

Note one key is to have very cold butter.  Just cut the butter up in slices and freeze for 15 minutes while you get the other ingredients ready!

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Combine the dry ingredients, flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to mix.  Add butter and pulse minimally to mix.  About 6 to 8 times.  Add ice water 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing to mix.  Test after a few tablespoons by pinching in your palm or between your hands.  If the mix sticks together, then you have enough water.  Too much water will make a tough crust.

Once you have it, press it on some wax paper and get it to stick together and divide it in half.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to a day.

Remove a disk from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes so that it’s easier to work with.  Roll out on a lightly floured surface with extra Gluten Free Flour.  Be sure to not use grandma’s old rolling pin!  Old wooden rolling pins can hold flour!  Make sure you get a new one and use it only for gluten free makings!  Roll out until the crust is about 1.5 inches larger in diameter than your pie pan/plate.  Flip the plate upside down to check.  Carefully place the crust into the pan, trimming the edges if necessary to be only about 1/2 inch larger than needed.

Fill pie with filling!  Repeat for the top layer before baking if you are having a top crust.  Bake according to your recipe!  I like adding some extra sugar to the top just before baking.

Here’s a BlackBerry Pie I made with this recipe!  First time I’ve ever done a lattice topping so excuse the cracks!

Gluten Free BlackBerry Pie

Gluten Free BlackBerry Pie

Gluten Free Croutons

As I’ve mentioned in my Gluten Free Bread Crumbs Recipe, we don’t particularly care for the heals in our bread so they are perfect to make bread crumbs from! Every time we’re done with a loaf of Udi’s Gluten Free bread I throw the 2 heals in the freezer! Very quickly, I have plenty of heals to make crumbs or croutons from!  This is almost the same as my crumbs recipe other than you just cube or tear the bread!

Gluten Free Croutons

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound Gluten Free Heals broken into pieces or cubed
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano or thyme
  • 2 tablespoons dried basil or parsley
  • 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Preheat oven to 300 or 325.  Place pieces on baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to let the moisture out and get the croutons evenly baked. I find the gluten free bread retains the moisture pretty well during this process. Once bread is completely dried out take out of oven and add spices. I usually test the bread by eating one every once in a while to see if it’s crunchy throughout.  Allow to completely cool before storing in a zip lock bag. They should keep for about 6 months if completely cooled before storing.

Gluten Free Croutons

Stove Top Popcorn

Did you know that home-made stove top popcorn is just as convenient if not more than the microwave bagged popcorn??  In an attempt to reduce the crap and unknown ingredients in our food, I decided to try the old fashioned way of making pop corn several months ago and we’ve not gone back!  The kids love it and say it tastes way better than microwave plus you get to control the ingredients!

To make stove top popcorn, just put a little bit of oil in the bottom of a pot.  You need just enough to cover the bottom.  Get 1/3 to 1/4 cup of kernels ready depending on how much you want to make.  Put a few popcorn kernels in the pan and turn the heat on to medium.  Wait until one of the kernels pop and you then know the oil is hot and ready.  Pour the popcorn kernels in and put a lid on!

Gently shake the pan occasionally as the kernels pop.  You know it’s done when the popping stops to about once every 2 seconds.  That’s it!  Just top with what ever toppings you like.  A tad bit of salt and some melted butter is our kid’s favorites!  Total time to make is about 4 minutes!

Gluten free bbq ribs

So I have been working to make ribs at home. After my third attempt I think I have it down pretty well. All you need is a few hours and three ingredients.
Ingredients

  • Pork ribs
  • Emeril’s Rib rub
  • Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 300. You need about 1 tbs of rib rub per pound of ribs. Put aluminum foil shiny side down on a cookie sheet and place ribs on top. Put the rub on both sides using about one tbs per pound of ribs. Seal up with the aluminum foil using more for on top of necessary. Bake meaty side down for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the rib meat is fork tender and rib meat is shrinking away from the bones.

Preheat to high grill or broiler. Drain off rendered juices. Brush on BBQ sauce on both sides and broil or grill for about 2 to 4 minutes per side or until BBQ sauce is baked on. We have found finishing them off on the grill is the best way as they get nice and smokey that way.

Mini Gluten Free Pizzas

Sometimes we’re in a hurry or don’t want to make a full Gluten Free Pizza or want something a bit more authentic than Gluten Free Pizza bread.  So we’ve been making lunch time pizza on Glutino’s Gluten Free English Muffins!  These make great mini pizzas and they taste more like a deep dish pizza.

Making Mini Gluten Free Pizzas in the toaster oven is super quick and simple!  If you don’t have a toaster oven you could finish it off in the regular oven.  I love having a toaster oven though for when you want to bake something small and don’t want to waste the energy heating up your big oven.

The key to Mini Gluten Free Pizzas is to first break the muffin into 2 halves and Toast the muffins on a light-medium setting.  You want it crispy but not too dark since you’ll be baking it later.  While it’s toasting, get any toppings out you want.  Once toasted, spread with gluten free Pizza Sauce (I like Mid’s and have never had a reaction with it), top with Cheese and any other toppings.  Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  That’s it!

Note: I find these English Muffins in our Natural Freezer Isle at our local Krogers.  I just put them in the fridge when I take them home and they are always ready and keep for 1-2 weeks in the fridge.  I’ve never had them long enough to go stale in there!  Kids love this!

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

These things are pretty awesome and are a great spin on a classic.

  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 c. light Karo syrup
  • 1 c. peanut butter
  • 6 c. Rice Krispies (GF) (We like Nature’s Path Organic)
  • 1  pkg. chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons Crisco ( butter might work also)

Cook sugar and syrup in 3 quart saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter. Mix in Rice Krispies. Press into 9″x13″ pan. Let harden. Melt in double boiler chocolate chips and crisco. Stir to blend. Spread over Krispie mixture. Chill 5 minutes until top is firm. Cut in squares and Enjoy!

 

Gluten Free Double Delicious Cookies

I have had these bar cookies that I’ve made since High School that everyone loves.  When I learned of my gluten issues, I stopped making them.  Problem is they have graham crackers in them.  I finally found a great Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crumbs by Kinnikinnick so I can make these cookies again!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  While oven is heating, cut up butter in a 9×13 pyrex pan and melt butter in the oven.  Once butter is melted, evenly layer the Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crumbs on butter.  Next layer the Sweetened Condensed Milk followed by the semi-sweet chips and peanut butter chips.  Lightly press down.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and slightly golden brown.  Let fully cool before cutting!

These are so good and rich be careful eating too many at once!!  Enjoy!