My World Without Wheat by Angela E. Drake continues here
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Author: Angela Drake
Angela Drakehttp://AWorldWithoutWheat.wordpress.comElementary school teacher, circulation desk clerk at my local library, mother of Kasey, Nonna to Aiden and Liam, volunteer at Musikfest, gardener, potter in stoneware, quilter, gf baker, hiker, camper, birdwatcher and addictive reader.......
A few weeks ago, we drove down to Quakertown to the QMart. One of my friends saw this place while shopping there and instantly knew I should visit it. They don’t have a website yet but on fb type in Yo Mama’s Kitchen and it should come up. The entire menu is gluten free, the Entire thing!! It was somewhat surreal to know that everything on the menu was available to me, and all items were safe from cross contamination. It’s down in the west 540’s section of the QMart which is a large indoor farmers market of many booths. We sat down and perused the menu. I had my eye on the crabcake sandwich as I never ever can order that. Joe decided on a cheese steak. He had his with 3 addons, onions, peppers and wild shitake mushrooms. Both came with a mountain of fresh French fries. The wait was not too long; the server was very friendly and there were a few tables of patrons happily chowing down. The food is homestyle and casual; burgers, steaks, pizza, breakfast items plus a number of entrees like chicken parm and fried chicken. So, lots to choose from.
My sandwich was tasty and soon devoured. The fries were hot and good. Joe’s steak sandwich was exceptional. Those wild mushrooms took it to a whole new level of yumminess. We were stuffed. I forgot to take any pictures; took just one of the fries. Next time I will try that cheesesteak!
We took home 2 cannoli and ate them later that evening; really well done; the chocolate chip filling was great, and the canola shell was spot on perfect!
I highly recommend this small restaurant to the gluten free community. It was sublime to eat safely from the entire menu. Come and get it! The hours they are open are on their fb page. They also have daily/weekly specials that look excellent. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569957491484
I have just one recommendation; we both are not supposed to eat French fries more than a small serving. I think a dish of coleslaw as a substitute and maybe a small size of fries would be so helpful for those of us who just shouldn’t dive into a huge serving. So temping you gotta eat them but honestly, I would love some fresh coleslaw, so I feel healthy about the meal I just gobbled up. I am hoping they give that a try sometime soon!
I have made this tart many times. This time I used a simple, sweet, press in, gf pie crust. It adds a bit of sweetness and is super easy; no rolling out the pie dough. In the past I always had leftover filling that I baked in a separate pan. This version endeavors to end that practice; I reduced the volume to make just enough to fill the tart pan, success!
Notes; you can leave out the lemon ingredients if you don’t want that flavor. I use King Arthur’s basic gf flour blend when I make a homemade crust, the one that is just flours, no xanthan in it. I used blueberries but I am sure you could make this with raspberries or a mixture of the two.
The ricotta adds a delicate texture and crumb. These were definitely end of season blueberries but tasty none the less. I used a little of the rind and juice of a lemon but even better is the Meyer lemon which has a delicate flavor compared to regular lemons. Do let the ricotta cheese and eggs warm up to room temp before using them, always good advice with gf baking.
Ricotta Blueberry Tart
Cookie crust:
1 cup brown rice blend; King Arthur Basic GF Blend
1 tsp. xanthan gum
¼ cup sugar
5 Tbsp. cold butter cut into 10 pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix the dry ingredients in stand mixer bowl. Add the butter, mix until fine like sand. Add extract. Blend briefly. Spray pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle in the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Press lightly in with your hands. DO not press too hard or it becomes way too firm.
Or, roll out that premade pie crust and fit into your pan; trim off extra crust. Fill.
Filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese, whole milk is best but any will do.
2 lg eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. lemon extract
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon rind grated
1 Tbsp. plus 1 Tsp. tapioca starch or corn starch
Pinch sea salt
1 heaping cup fresh or frozen blueberries
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees/ Mix ricotta with eggs in the mixer bowl you just made the crust in and then add the rest of ingredients except the blueberries. Carefully pour into the tart crust. Top with the berries.
Bake tart 40-45 min at 350 degrees. It should be fairly firm in the center. Let cool before slicing. You can sprinkle it with powdered sugar if desired. I am always so eager to try it I totally forget to do this! Enjoy.
It is passed the height of local strawberry season; but, there is time to make this pie; no baking a filling, no top crust, just ripe sweet berries in a coating of sweet berry goop and real whipped cream! This dessert is so lick-your-fingers yummy that I don’t want you to miss it and have to wait until next June to enjoy this strawberry classic. The local orchard, Bechdolt’s Orchard has some, there are pick your own like Phillips Farm Market or one in Effort or near Summit Hill. Or try a farmer’s market for fresh flavorful local berries. If you can make a crust and stir the strawberry goop you can make this.
If you are one of my wheat loving friends; make whatever basic crust you like. The filling is naturally gluten free.
My mom loved this pie and frankly so does our entire family. Mom never put the cream cheese on the bottom but I like it as it keeps the crust from getting soggy and adds a delicate counter point to the sweetness of the filling.
It is not a great summer if you don’t indulge in this dessert at least once!
Angie’s GF Strawberry Glace 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
Directions:
Spray 9 inch metal pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour. (I forget this step a LOT!)
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 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 pie pan, centered. Remove other slice of wax paper. Crimp edges all around. Prick it in a dozen places with a fork to keep it from blowing up bubbles. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes until the crust is light brown. Cool at least 30 minutes before filling.
Glaze:
1 cup mashed very ripe strawberries (I sort through the berries and use only the ripest ones for this part.)
2/3-3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
½ cup water
Mix sugar and cornstarch in 1 qt heavy bottomed sauce pan, stir in water and mashed strawberries. Cook on medium heat until it boils, stirring constantly. If it seems too thick, add up to half a cup more water. It needs to be thin enough to cling to your berries. Boil and stir one minute. Let cool at least 20-30 minutes or until close to room temperature.
Filling:
3-4 ounces of light cream cheese, room temperature
4-5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
Line the bottom of the cooled pie shell with the cream cheese, spread it as evenly as possible. I use ½ an 8 ounce package. Place berries in a big bowl. Pour the glaze over top and gently mix. Pour the goopy berries into the pie shell. I like to pick the nicest ones for the top of it.
Chill 2-3 hours before serving. Make some real whipped cream, the fake stuff will not do for this pie; 1 cup heavy cream whipped with an electric mixer or a whisk until soft peaks, I like to chill the bowl and beaters for a few minutes as it helps the cream whip faster. Then add 2-3 tbsp powdered sugar and ½ to 1 tsp. vanilla. Beat just a bit longer, until nearly stiff peaks. Slice the pie and top each piece with the whipped cream. Dive in! You won’t be disappointed.
Brown Rice Flour Mix– for crust
2 c brown rice flour
Surprisingly blueberries and rhubarb really do go together so well. Blueberries are delicious: with cereal and milk, in cream or baked in a cobbler or a fruity crisp. Rhubarb is called the pie plant for good reason; it makes a lovely pie from a humble plant stem. But this, this is my current obsession, the two together in a custard pie. Not just any old custard but one made with Greek yogurt and eggs. Easy to throw together, creamy, never runny textured and a lusciously fruity flavor that may make you have to eat a second slice! The blueberries do tend to take over the rhubarb flavor of this pie. Of course, there are more than twice as many blueberries by volume, and they are just a stronger flavor than rhubarb which gives a bit of a tart under taste to this pie. You could play with the proportions of the two fruits; this is the amounts which I used. This pie will be tasty to even the biggest rhubarb dissenter. Really!
WARNING: This pie goes soft in 2 humid days so plan to gobble it down within that time frame or face the soggy crust syndrome. Inevitable with gf crust and a custard filling in hot/humid weather.
I don’t recommend frozen or canned fruit for this pie, simply not good enough and you must use plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt in the filling, plain yogurt is too runny. And no, it can’t be made without the eggs it just wouldn’t work as a custard if there are no eggs. The version with peaches uses 3 yolks in there. I tried it with two whole eggs beaten up: success! And one last warning; applicable to 100 percent of my recipes: Please don’t try it with Measure for Measure gf flour; this is calibrated for using King Arthur’s Basic GF Blend.
I hope you give it a try; super easy and super delicious. Best pie of the summer hands down! Make one Saturday morning…we couldn’t wait for a slice still faintly warm……. I thought I took a picture of a slice; no luck there and it is all gone. Next time! It does look pretty much like the blueberry peach custard pie I posted last summer.
Naked pie! About to go in and bake for 25 minutes and then the crumbs go on top.Just out of the oven….cooling…a molten mass of fruit and custard and sugary crumbs!
Angie’s Blueberry and Rhubarb Custard Crumb Pie
CRUST:
1 c plus 2 tbsp brown rice flour mix (at bottom of recipe)
2 tbsp sweet rice flour
1 Tbps granulated sugar
½ tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp salt
6 Tbps cold butter cut into 6 chunks
1 large egg
2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice
Spray 9 or 10 inch metal pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour.
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 while you prepare the filling.
Filling:
2-3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb cut in half inch slices (2 cups if 9 inch pie, 3 cups for 10 inch pie)
4 cups blueberries; rinsed
2/3 cup sugar, sweeter if you like it that way or if peaches are not fully ripe
2 Tbsp. tapioca starch
Mix in a medium bowl the following ingredients:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, I prefer whole milk, and let it warm up a bit
2 whole large eggs or 3 egg yolks, close to room temp.
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp. brown rice mixture flour (King Arthur Basic GF blend)
Crumb topping
¾ c brown rice flour mix (King Arthur Basic GF Blend)
½ c sugar
½ tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks
Put all five ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Directions: Turn oven on to 400 degrees. Put the oven rack on the closest to the bottom shelf position. Once the crust is chilled some but not hard, Roll it out and fit into the pie shell. Trim off excess crust. I like to chill those crumbs of crust and roll out to make a jam filled hand pie. Anyway, put the sliced rhubarb and blueberries in a bowl and add the sugar and tapioca. Let stand 5 minutes. Then pour into the pie shell in a fairly even layer, as the filling and crumbs will hide it there is no need for a pretty design. Then pour the filling that you just mixed up over it , tap the pie on the counter sharply 2-3 times to settle in the filling and bake for 25-30 minutes. I turned down my oven to 375 after 15 to 20 minutes. While it bakes those 25-30 minutes make the crumbs. When your timer goes off, carefully remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the top of the pie with crumb mix; I used about 3/4 of it but you could use a bit less if you don’t want a thick crumb layer or all of it for a really heavy crumb. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until crumbs are lightly browned. Let stand at least 1 to 11/2 hours before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
First published in 2022, minor revisions to text, recipe the same.
My World Without Wheat 