Apple pie is a classic.  So is cherry pie.  This filling blend combines the best of both with a touch of other berries like blueberries, raspberries and black berries. I cut the bigger fruits in half especially the cherries.  You can do that even if they are frozen; they cut easily.

The pie has a touch of spices to spark the flavors. I gave the apple top billing but the berries are really the star here; the filling is deeply colored by them and the flavor overrides the sweet apples somewhat but I think they go together really nicely. I like to buy frozen fruit when it goes on sale and it is money in the freezer; a super choice for a bubbly cobbler or a pie for company.

This lovely dessert goes together pretty quickly; as fast as you can make the crust and peel and chop up 4 apples. The crust holds up well overnight and was still crisp the second day; I never get tired of this flavorful and flakey gf crust. It is wonderful.  See my credits at the bottom for my source. I never use any other crusts except for the occasional gingersnap crust or shortbread crust.

Apple Berry Crumb Pie

Crust:

1 c plus 2 tbsp brown rice flour mix (at bottom of recipe)

2 tbsp sweet rice flour

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter cut into 6 chunks

1 lg egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Crust directions: Spray a nine inch pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour. Set aside.

Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.  Add egg and juice.  Mix until it comes together into big chunks.  Shape into a ball with your hands. Put it on a crust sized piece of wax paper (14 x 14 inches more or less), flatten the crust ball some; put on top of it another piece of wax paper and chill it all in your fridge 15-20 minutes.

Roll out the flattened ball into a pie crust in a pie bag or between the two sheets of wax paper, try to get the thickness even, no thick middle! Peel off one side of paper and place in the pie pan, be sure to center it.  Remove other slice of wax paper.  Crimp edges all around.

Filling:

4 medium-large sized apples, use a cooking variety; red rome,     jonathan, empire, golden delicious. I used red rome.

1 bag of berry cherry frozen fruit; 12 ounce size; defrost on counter top for at least 30 minutes

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. minute tapioca

1 Tbsp. white or brown rice flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon, heaping

¼ heaping tsp. ground ginger

Peel apples, quarter, cut out core, slice into 1/3 inch thick slices. I cut most of them in half too for smaller chunks. Mix in a large bowl with the semi-defrosted fruit and the lemon juice. Mix the dry filling ingredients and pour over the fruit; mix with a big spoon; let stand 5 minutes before pouring in crust.

Spread evening in pie crust.

Crumb topping

Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form.

¾ c brown rice flour mix

½ c sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

Sprinkle the top of the pie with crumb mix; use as much as you like.  I like about 2/3 of the mixture.  Up to your personal taste…  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 50-55 minutes until bubbly and the crust is light brown.  I have a bottom heat oven so my crust gets crisp but if you have issues with soggy bottom crusts; prebake your crust for 10 minutes at 375 degrees; then fill and bake immediately.

Cool the pie at least 2 to 4 hours before serving at room temperature.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (same as King Arthur flour mix)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

The crust and crumbs are from Annalise Roberts’ great cookbook: Gluten-Free Baking Classics. My filling is my own recipe.