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Homemade Pumpkin Pie: Easy & Delish
pie
Perfect Pear Crumb Pie
Fresh tasting, locally sourced fruits are a major reason for success in fruit pie baking. I usually get mine from the local orchard where they were grown; about 2 miles from my house. This past Saturday I got some Bosc pears, they are a bit firmer and not as juicy as Bartletts but are renown for baking.
This recipe is a blending of my own pie filling and the pie crust and crumb recipes from Annalise Robert’s cookbook, Gluten-Free Baking Classics. I used slightly less sugar, more fruit, and made a few other changes to create my own special pie using pears instead of apples. Her cookbook is a fabulous resource, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone trying to bake gluten free for a family member. This pie is like apple pie’s little sister; delicate, tender and so pretty. I promise even pear haters will enjoy a slice of this and we who love pears are just in heaven when we bite into a generous slice of this juicy sweet pie. My guy always claimed to hate pears; so fickle; unripe and then suddenly mushy overripe – I can relate to that happening occasionally, but I persisted and now he enjoyed this pie quite a lot; took home a huge slice of it last night. Go on; make it; you might change someone’s mind too!
Angie’s GF Pear 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 large egg
2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice
Spray 9 1/2 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 chop the peeled and cored fruit into ¼ to 1/3 inch slices. I use my plastic pie bag; sturdy and helps me roll the crust thin in the middle.
Filling:
6 cups barely ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears; peeled, cored, and sliced thin – place in medium bowl, pour over it 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Mix the following dry ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the sliced pears:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. quick cooking instant tapioca
1/4 rounded tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Stir gently with a big spoon to blend well. Let stand while you roll out the crust; this time will allow the tapioca to soak up the fruit juice and become that lovely goop my family yearns for!
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 granulated sugar
½ tsp xanthan gum
1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks
Directions: 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 sweetened fruit mix. Pour the crumb topping (1 to 1½ cup) evenly over this mixture. The more crumbs the thicker the crust they will form; for a really thick crust use all the crumbs from the recipe below.
If you love your pie really sweet add another ¼ cup granulated sugar to the dry mix part of the filling. I found the pie to be plenty sweet but everyone has their own sweetness level.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes with a piece of aluminum foil on top of the pie, then lower the temperature to 375 and bake 20 more minutes uncovered until bubbly and the crust is light brown. I put a pie guard underneath my pie while it bakes to catch any drips. Cool at least 2 hours before serving at room temperature.
Note: I bake pies on the lowest shelf of my oven and that gives me a great browned crust. If your oven doesn’t give a strong bottom heat you might want to pre-bake the crust 10 minutes before filling and topping the fruit.
Brown Rice Flour Mix (same as King Arthur’s Basic gf Flour mix)
2 c brown rice flour
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 c tapioca flour
Chocolate Cloud Pie…Oh My!
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Strawberry Glace Pie…Simple Pie Perfection
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
2/3 c potato starch
1/3 c tapioca flour
Blueberry Rhubarb Custard Pie
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.
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.
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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 