Fresh Peach Pie: Perfect September Dessert

Early September is near the peak of peach season so get some peaches and whip up a delicious gluten free peach pie. The pie I made Saturday was juicy and flavorful down to the last slice. Your family will thank you for your efforts.

But, this is a pretty easy pie to create. Slice and dump together the filling, crumb topping made in unwashed mixer bowl you just made the bottom crust in. You can store any leftover crumb mixture in a sealed container in the fridge; it keeps a few weeks. I let my mix spin in the stand mixer for extra big crumbs for this pie; love that look. If you prefer a solid crust just double the crust part and top your pie with it. Be sure to cut some slits for steam escape. If you can’t make pie crust; you can buy readi-made gluten free crust and use that.

Please make every effort to use local fruit; can get peaches at orchards like Bechdolt’s near Springtown, at most farm stands and at farmer’s markets; one on Saturdays in Easton or Sunday’s in Hellertown. This pie really showcases great tasting peaches. If you use lousy peaches your pie will be lack luster. But, here’s the thing: store peaches can be poor in flavor and texture due to improper chilling so I strongly suggest you get locally grown, sweet, ripe peaches to make your pie. I love when they have a pink blush; it makes the pie so pretty and perhaps even tastier!

To peel; heat 3 inches of plain water, drop the peaches gently in 4-5 at a time and cook them 2-3 minutes. Use the lesser time for more ripe peaches. Allow to cool somewhat before peeling. I like to do that over a bowl to catch the juices as I slice each peach.

Bake and enjoy late summer in a pie with just a few minutes of effort. Don’t eat it hot; it should be cooled to just warm if you like it so or room temperature or even a bit chilled. You could certainly serve this dessert with vanilla ice cream. And this pie works perfectly with fresh nectarines, bonus: no peeling required!

Angie’s GF Peach 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

Directions:

Spray 9 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:

6 cups sliced fresh peaches, peeled and cut in slices and drop in medium bowl. Mix in:

½ cup sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup quick tapioca

Add and stir in

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp. almond extract

Let stand while you roll out the crust. This gives the tapioca time to soften a bit which improves how the pie comes out.

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. Fill with fruit mixture.

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. If you let them go extra long you get big fat crumbs if you want that look and I did!

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 a heaping cup of the mixture. Up to your personal taste… It sinks partially into the fruit mixture and adds lots of sweetness and eye appeal.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and the crumb crust is light brown. Cool at least 1 to 4 hours before serving at room temperature. I think it is best served the same day you make it, or no more then 12 hours after baking for optimal flavor. The crumbs will get soggy if too much time passes. Mine was still very good the next day; just not as great as when really fresh.

Note: if you find your bottom crust is not browning enough bake it empty at 375 degrees for ten minutes before filling it with the fruit. I have a bottom heat pizza style oven which gives me perfect pie crust so I don’t ever have pale pie crust.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (Same as King Arthur GF All purpose blend)
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – Not potato flour!

1/3 c tapioca flour

Peachy Keen Peach Cobbler

Peaches; peachy keen, peaches and cream, peach ice cream and peach cobbler. Well, this post will be on peach cobbler and it is is peachy keen! Still, I often make it with blueberries. I am guessing most any fruit might work; blackberries, raspberries, cherries, plums, nectarines and apricots come to mind.

This recipe is modified from one in Bette Hagman’s book, More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet and is based on a flour mix that will give you 4 cups of the dry ingredients. One cup will make an 8×8 pan of cobbler topping. I bet two cups dry mix will make a big 9×13 cobbler.

I have made it over a camp fire a few times, delish and not that difficult either. But that will be a separate post as there are some tricks to campfire baking.

I have tried a number of cobbler recipes but nothing has been better than this one so I stick to what works for me. If you use nectarines there is no peeling involved which makes it easy to throw together. I need to make a cherry cobbler but cherry season has passed. Oh well, there are frozen cherries at the grocery store and in my freezer……

Mix this up and store in an airtight container in the freezer to keep it fresh.

I always get the fruit cooking before putting the topping together so the fruit is hot and ready for the topping and can go right into the oven. All of these pictures are of peach raspberry cobbler. An interesting combination I can recommend to you.

Dry Cobbler Mix

2 ¼ cups white rice flour

½ cup potato starch

½ cup tapioca flour

1 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/3 cup sugar

Cobbler Topping

1 cup dry baking mix

2 eggs

2 tbsp melted butter or canola oil

1/3 cup milk/buttermilk

½ tsp. vanilla

Mix the wet ingredients and then add to the dry mix in a big bowl.

Fruit Filling

4 cups sliced ripe peeled peaches, nectarines, blueberries

½ tsp. almond extract

½-2/3 cup sugar depending on how sweet you want it

3 tbsp. GF flour

½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Mix the fruit and almond extract in a sauce pan. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon and flour and mix into the fruit. Cook on the stove top for 5-10 minutes until it is thickened and hot. Pour into a buttered 8 inch square pan, top with big blops of the cobbler topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The top should be light brown and spring back when you poke it with your finger. If it looks damp or squishy bake it 5 more minutes.

Let cool 5-7 minutes before serving as it will burn your mouth right out of the oven! Some people love it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; had some that way in September 2015. This peach raspberry cobbler shown below is perfect just on its own.

Between you and me, I just made some cobbler with 4 fat peaches and a handful of fancy frozen raspberries. It tastes amazing! The zing of the raspberries and the ripe peachy flavor mingle with the tender cobbler crust in an incredible blend that must be tasted and enjoyed ASAP! Originally posted in August 2014.

Blueberry Peach Crumb Pie – Delicious for Dessert

It is the peak of peach season and blueberries are still in every grocery store so this was a perfect pairing for adaptation to a gluten free pie recipe. The resulting pie was juicy and flavorful down to the last slice. We had one this past weekend for a birthday party.

This is an easy pie to create. Slice and dump together the filling, crumb topping made in mixer bowl you used for bottom crust. You can store any leftover crumb mixture in a sealed container in the fridge; it keeps a few weeks. This GF crumb topping is perfect for most any fruit pie. If you prefer a solid crust just double the crust part and top your pie with it. Be sure to cut some slits for steam escape! I think a lattice crust would be fantastic if a bit more time consuming to construct.

Please make every effort to use local fruit; can get peaches at most farm stands and at farmer’s markets; one on Sunday’s in Hellertown. This pie really showcases the blueberries more than the peaches. But store peaches can be poor due to chilling so I strongly suggest you get locally grown sweet ripe peaches to make your pie.

To peel; heat 3 inches of plain water, drop the peaches gently in and cook them 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool somewhat before peeling. I like to do that over a bowl to catch the juices as I slice each peach.

Bake and enjoy early summer in a pie in just a few minutes of work. Don’t eat it piping hot; it should be cooled to room temperature or even chilled. You could certainly serve this with vanilla ice cream.

And this pie works perfectly with fresh nectarines or apricots. Bonus: no peeling required! I have to confess I love to make it with nectarines for that reason. The apricot version is really flavorful so if you ever get about a quart of apricots this is a great recipe for a pie.

Angie’s GF Blueberry Peach 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

Spray 9 inch metal pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour.

Filling:

2-3 cups sliced fresh peaches, peeled and cut in thick slices

3 cups fresh blueberries – place in medium bowl

Mix with:

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup quick tapioca

Add and stir in

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Let stand while you prepare the 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 (all is fine!). I like about a heaping cup of the mixture. Up to your personal taste… It sinks partially into the fruit mixture and adds lots of sweetness and eye appeal.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and the crumb crust is light brown. You can put a pie juice catcher under the pie as it might bubble over. This protects the oven bottom from a mess. I put a piece of aluminum foil on top for the last ten minutes. Cool at least 2 to 4 hours before serving at room temperature. I think it is best served the same day you make it, or no more then 10 hours after baking for optimal flavor. The crumbs will get soggy if too much time passes.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (Same as King Arthur’s GF blend flour)
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – Not potato flour!

1/3 c tapioca flour

This post was originally posted August 2014, minor changes made to it.

Apricot Tart….Summer’s Bounty Perfected

July is apricot season. Whether you say it with a long or a short a (growing up with a whole orchard of them we said a long A) they are wonderful to eat out of hand or in a pie. I didn’t have enough for a pie but there appeared to be enough for a tart. These beauties were very large and perfectly ripe; not mushy though. I got them from the produce store that just closed on Main Street. I will miss their excellent produce……

I created this tart recipe to showcase these juicy golden fruits of summer’s height. My family absolutely adores apricots so I was pretty sure this would go over great.

I tried to cut it straight across; got kinda wacky warped in the moving to a plate; delicate crust this time but oh so tasty!

The crumb topping was already made and stored in my fridge so I just needed to make the shortbread cookie tart crust and it went together very rapidly. I think it looks fancy but in reality it is very simple to put together; no pie crust rolling either! My version isn’t overly sweet; you can add a couple tablespoons of sugar; toss the apricot halves in it before you lay them on the crust. I like it tart because apricots are tart and I wanted to taste that essential apricot flavor and recreate my memory of the zingy apricot pie my mom made many July’s ago. The almonds add to the crunch and they pair perfectly with apricots. It was a memorable dessert this past weekend.

extreme close up!

All ready for baking

Ready for slicing and eating!

Sweet Cookie crust

Place the following in a stand mixer bowl and combine

1 cup GF flour (recipe below)

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp. cinnamon

Add 5 tbsp cold butter, cut into 6-7 chunks. Mix on low until the butter is all blended in leaving just crumbs.

Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water. Blend well. I have left out the vanilla and it is fine that way as long as you put in the cinnamon.

Pour the crumbs evenly into a 14×4 inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom or a nine inch round tart pan – sprayed with cooking spray. Spread it up the sides a bit. Press in gently so it is a cohesive crust but do not push really hard or it will be like concrete when you finish baking it! I like my rectangular tart shape; it gives the result a fancy, almost professional look. And it’s shape makes it so easy to slice for serving.

Brown Rice Flour Mix [makes 3 cups]
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – not potato flour

1/3 c tapioca flour

FYI: this mix is identical to the King Arthur GF all purpose flour but much cheaper if you make it yourself

Crumb topping

¾ c brown rice flour mix

½ c granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until fat crumbs form. For this recipe they can be somewhat bigger crumbs: let them get the size of big peas but don’t over-mix or you will be stuck with a squishy dough; not a good thing…

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Filling:

8 to 10 large ripe apricots

1-3 tbsp sugar

¾ cup crumb topping

¼ tsp. almond extract

¼ cup sliced almonds

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the crumbs with the almond extract and sliced almonds; I did it in the slightly dirty bowl I made the crust in. Cut the apricots in half, pit them. Lay the apricots cut side down; in pairs down the top of the crust. I left very little to no space between them. If you do a round tart you can just space them out to fill the circle nicely. If your apricots aren’t large you may well need 4 to 6 more to fill the space. If you desire extra sweetness gently stir them to coat with 2-3 tbsp. granulated sugar first. I didn’t use the extra sugar, tart is my preference.

Then sprinkle the crumb topping all over the tart. Try to keep it in the tart: Finally, sprinkle one tbsp. granulated sugar over the tart. Bake for 50 to 60 min until bubbly and the crumbs are getting light brown. Place on a wire rack and cool before slicing.

I think it would be fantastic with vanilla ice cream if you go in for that sort of delightful excess! I don’t think it will keep more than two days. I doubt it will last that long at my house. Too delectable for we Drakes; like a siren song; the call of an apricot tart….

Hand Pies – Heaven Comes in Small Portions!

Looking for a small snack, something that is fruity and flaky? Look no further than hand pies. I make them out of leftover dough from pies or tarts. I’d been making them long before I went gluten free…I’m still creating different versions in my gf life. They are very simple. Basically roll out a circle of pie dough; plop on some filling; fold over, pinch and bake. They are my secret treat when I bake a pie for company! A hand pie satisfies that pie craving and is fairly portable. Can take these treats on a picnic, to the beach or on a hike if you put them in a rigid walled container so they don’t get smushed.

I confess that I generally only make one or two from scraps when I bake a pie or tart but you can just make hand pies and it should make about 6 depending on how big you make them. You might get 7 if on the small side or maybe 5 if they are large!

blueberry filling in this fat hand pie

Angie’s GF Hand Pies

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 large egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Directions: 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 do something else. I use my pie bag; a round piece of plastic connected to another piece of plastic by a zipper; more sturdy than wax paper for rolling out gf dough.

Filling:

½ to 2/3 cup of jam, marmalade or cooked fruit – if you go with cooked fruit; add some sugar; maybe 2 tbsp of it and cook just a few minutes; don’t let it totally break down. Stir it as it cooks on low. I have used blueberries mixed with rhubarb for this fruity filling version; yumm!

I use a tablespoon per hand pie of fruit jam, cooked fruit or marmalade. I love it with homemade jam or marmalade. My Meyer lemon marmalade is fantastic in a hand pie. I sometimes add a tbsp. of almond flour on top of the filling; gives more texture.

Optional: almond flour, cinnamon sugar

Directions: roll out a chunk of dough; about 2-3 tbsp worth; you can divide the big ball of dough into 6 chunks so they are the same size. Make it a circle or oval shape, try not to get it too thin as it will be very difficult to work with and may break allowing filling to ooze out. I peel the rolled out dough off the plastic, lay it back down so it will be easy to pick up once filled. Top it with the jam or cooked fruit on one side; not too close to the edge! Sprinkle with almond flour or meal if you like. Fold over the crust and pinch it shut all along the edge. You can use a fork to press it shut and make an edging. If you leave any unsealed the filling will run out and make a mess. Sometimes I bake them on aluminum foil so I can throw it away and avoid cleaning up the mess of burst out filling that has burnt on the pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if you like, which I do. Lay on a baking sheet that you sprayed with cooking spray to cut down on sticking. You could use parchment paper on it if you like. Repeat with the rest of the dough and fillings.

Bake in 350 oven for about 20 to 25 minutes; until light brown. Cool before eating. Easier said than done; I love them still slightly warm from the oven. Yummers!

Brown Rice Flour Mix (it is the same as King Arthur’s gf flour mix)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

	✒️🥣Dorothy's New Vin… on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
	Angela Drake on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
	✒️🥣Dorothy's New Vin… on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
	Angela Drake on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
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	✒️🥣Dorothy's New Vin… on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
	Angela Drake on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
	✒️🥣Dorothy's New Vin… on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
	Angela Drake on Tapioca Pudding – Timele…
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My World Without Wheat

My World Without Wheat by Angela E. Drake continues here

gluten free baking

Fresh Peach Pie: Perfect September Dessert

Peachy Keen Peach Cobbler

Blueberry Peach Crumb Pie – Delicious for Dessert

Hand Pies – Heaven Comes in Small Portions!