Gluten-Free Pastry

I was so thrilled when I realized I could enjoy my favourite pies without wheat flour! I never thought about adapting my regular pastry recipe until I saw Jenn Croft, from Creative Choices in Owen Sound, demonstrate pie dough using her recipe. When I tried it at home with the all purpose flour mix I developed and the basic recipe from Anne’s Favourites I was delighted with the results and have made dozens of pies since then and maybe tweaked the recipe just a little. I have also found out what works and what does not work as well. Double crust pies are not always successful so I found I have just used pastry cutouts on top of the pie instead of a full crust. I am not sure why since I have not bothered trying to hard to correct this. I can live with Dutch apple instead of a two crust apple pie. Custard pies in a baked pie shell are fantastic. I would serve a piece of coconut cream pie in a GF crust to a regular crowd and not apologize. It is still great! Pumpkin and pecan pie also. For pies that traditionally are made with a lattice top I cut out heart or star shapes with the pastry, put them around the edges of the pie and sprinkle with some sugar and bake.

Best GF Pastry
3 cups GF all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening, 2 oz or you may just use 1 cup of butter
3/4 cup butter or margarine, 6 oz
2 egg plus……
…….enough water to make 5/8 cup
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup almond or other nut flour (optional)

Sift flour, xanthan gum, sugar and salt into a bowl.
With a pastry blender or your clean hands mix shortening and butter into dry ingredients until the lumps are the size of peas or until there are no large chunks of fat.
Whisk together egg, water and vinegar and pour over dry mixture.
Blend in with a fork until all the flour is moistened and dough is forming.
I use my clean hands to finish gathering the dough together. This dough is very moist so you should not need to add more liquid.
Divide into 3 balls and flatten into discs. Dough may be refrigerated or frozen at this point.
Roll dough on a lightly floured piece of plastic wrap in a circle larger than the pie plate.
Place inverted pie plate over the dough and carefully lift plastic wrap, dough and pie plate, flipping quickly, and gently ease dough into plate. Remove plastic backing and finish pressing pastry into pie plate.
Seal any cracks or holes in crust and trim extra dough at edge of pie plate and flute as
desired.

Makes 2 – 10 inch or 3 – 8 inch pie shells or 22 tart shells
Anne’s Favourites