Review of Gluten-free Mama's Pie Crust...or Choose from Two Recipes

(Photo source:  amazon.com)

I am impressed and amazed at Gluten Free Mama's Pie Crust Mix.  The pie crust tastes great and is quite light and flaky.  I rate it at 9 out of 10.  I changed a few things in the directions when I made it.  I used parchment paper instead of wax paper, because I like the larger size.  I also used ice water, instead of just cold water. 

My 12-year-old daughter enjoyed making strips out of the dough to layer on top of the apple pie we made.  She had to press some of the pieces together because the strips were difficult to move from the parchment paper to the pie, but it worked out quite well.  My 9-year-old daughter enjoyed making fun shapes out of the leftover dough. 

I got the idea to use ice water from my friend, Sian (see her recipe below).  The other recipe for pie crust comes from my cookbook.  I like both recipes for different reasons.  Sian's recipe is thicker dough and a little easier to handle.  My recipe is a light, flaky crust. Enjoy...and Happy Thanksgiving!

Pie Crust

½  cup white rice flour or brown rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

½  cup tapioca flour

3 tablespoons sorghum flour
2 tablespoons masa or corn flour

¾  teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ cup shortening

1 egg, beaten

½ cup cold water, add more as needed

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Sift rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, corn flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add shortening and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, two table knives, or heavy-duty kitchen mixer.
3. In a small bowl beat eggs, water, and vinegar. Add mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add more water as needed for a workable (not sticky) texture.
4. Divide the pastry dough into 2 to 3 equal parts, depending on size of pie plates. Wrap extra pie crust dough in plastic wrap and place them in a heavy plastic bag in the freezer.
5. Place dough between two sheets of plastic film or parchment paper on kitchen counter and roll out the dough into a pie crust. If pastry dough is sticky and hard to remove from the plastic, pat rice flour over the surface.  
6. Remove the top piece of plastic film, laying the rolled dough into your pie plate, and remove the bottom piece of plastic film. Flute edges.  Prick pie crust with a fork.
7. For a pre-baked crust, bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 2 to 3 pie crusts

Sian's GF Pie Pastry

1/3 c ice water

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 egg yolks

1 c rice flour

1 c cornstarch

½ c tapioca starch

2 tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

1 c shortening

In a small bowl, combine ice water, vinegar, and egg yolks.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, sift rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and salt.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening until mixture resembles small peas.  Stirring with a fork, sprinkle egg yolk mixture, a little at a time, over the flour-shortening mixture to make soft dough.

Divide dough in half.  Gently gather dough into a ball and place each half on plastic wrap and flatten into a disk and wrap well.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Let cold pastry stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before rolling out.

Place the pastry disk between two sheets of waxed paper.  Gently roll out the pastry dough into a circle 1” larger than the diameter of the pie plate.  Remove the top sheet of waxed paper.  Invert the pastry over the pie plate, easing it in.  Carefully remove the remaining sheet of waxed paper.

Trim excess pastry to edge of pie plate and patch any cracks with trimmings.  If baking unfilled pastry shell, prick bottom and sides with fork.  Bake at 425 for 18-20 minutes or until golden.  To bake filled pastry shell, do not prick.  Fill and bake according to individual recipe directions.