Homemade gluten-free apple pie with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust

I recently received a “hot off the press” package of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pie Crust. I have been waiting for inspiration to arrive ever since. Today, I made a homemade apple pie and the reviews from the family were: “Ultra-delicious” and “I was A-ok with the pie-crust.” I am the only GF person in the house, and I do like it when even the wheat-eaters enjoy what I’m making.

Bob was generous with this crust: it filled out the pan nicely. The finished product wasn’t really flaky like traditional wheat crusts; it was more crumbly, like shortbread. But it did shatter at the touch of the fork, it wasn’t dry, heavy, doughy or soggy, and it tasted delicious. I think it would make a great base for any pie. I expect to try it as a quiche crust next.

Comments & Notes:

• The recipe on the bag calls for 20 tbsp of fat (a mix of butter and shortening)--not exactly health food. You wouldn’t want to eat like this every day, but it’s okay for a special occasion, and when you have a lot of people to share it with.
• After adding the ice water to the mix, the dough will need to be mixed with your hand (not a wooden spoon) to get it to come together.
• Do roll out the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. As a rice-flour-based mix, this dough is very crumbly and it would never survive rolling and direct contact with both the pin and work surface. The plastic makes it neat and easy to work and place in the pan. 

Recipe

Rolling the dough

Pie Crust

1 bag Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pie Crust Mix

12 tbsp butter

8 tbsp shortening or coconut oil

Prepare the crust per package directions. Separate dough into two disks, wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.

Roll each half of the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap until it’s about 10 inches in diameter.

Peel off the top sheet of plastic wrap and gently invert the bottom crust into a 9-inch pie pan, then gently remove the second sheet of plastic wrap.

Roll out the second half of the crust to about 9.5-10 inches in diameter. Remove the top sheet of plastic and cut four steam vents in the crust (each about 1.5 inches long and near the center).

Prepared bottom crust

Preheat the oven to 425F and prepare the filling.

Filling

6 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp gluten-free cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tbsp butter, cut into 4 cubes

Sugar for sprinkling

Place the sliced apples in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Mix well. Pour the fruit into the prepared bottom crust in the pie pan, compressing the fruit slightly with a wooden spoon, and mounding the apples higher in the center.

Drop the 4 cubes of butter on top of the apples.

Handling gently by the one remaining sheet of plastic, place the second crust on top of the pie and remove the plastic wrap. Cut off any excess, overhanging crust and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Dust the top crust of the pie with sugar.

Ready for the oven

Bake the pie in a 425F oven for 30 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling up.

Serve warm, maybe even with ice cream if you're feeling really naughty.

Decimated.