Apple Pie

 

Gluten free and dairy free apple pie. The crust recipe comes from 1,000 Gluten Free Recipes by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. The filling recipe and baking time comes from The Joy of Cooking.

Crust

• 1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Blend (1.5 cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch/cornstarch, 1 cup tapioca flour all whisked together)
• 3/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 3 T sugar, divided
• 1 t xanthan gum
• 1 t guar gum
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/8 t baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening or buttery sticks
• 1/2 cup milk (rice, soy, cow, nut)
• 1 t vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 egg white beaten with 1 T water for egg wash (optional to make vegan)

1.  Place the sorghum blend, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, 2 T of the sugar, xanthan gum, guar gum, salt, baking soda, and shortening in a food processor and process until crumbly. Add the milk and vinegar and process until the dough forms a ball. If it doesn’t form a ball, use a butter knife to break up the dough into pieces and process again, scraping down sides if necessary. Remove the dough from the food processor and knead with your hands until smooth. Shape the dough into two 1-inch thick disks, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Massage a disk of dough between your hands until it is warm and pliable,  making the crust easier to handle. With a rolling pin, roll to a 10 inch circle between two pieces of plastic wrap (optional – dust plastic wrap with rice flour and use damp towel between counter and plastic wrap as anchor). Move the rolling pin from the center of the dough to the outer edge, moving around the circle in a clockwise fashion to assure uniform thickness.
3. Remove the top plastic wrap and invert the crust centering it over a 9-inch nonstick pie pan. Remove the remaining plastic wrap and press into place. Trim the edges to an even overhang all around the pan. Shape a decorative edge around the rime of the pan if you are making a single crust pie. If not, leave the over-hang in place and move on to steps 4 and 5.
4. Add filling as directed in your recipe. Roll remaining disk of dough to a 10-inch circle, invert and center on the filled crust. Do not remove the top plastic wrap until the dough is centered. Trim the top crust to the same over-hang as bottom crust. Press the two crusts together and shape a decorative edge around rim of pan. Freeze 15 minutes. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Prick the top crust several times with a folk (or make a cool design with knife!) to allow the steam to escape. Place the pan on a nonstick baking sheet.
5. Place a rack in the bottom position and another in the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 15 minutes to brown bottom crust. Move to middle position and bake 25 to 35 minutes more or until the top crust is nicely browned. Cover loosely with foil if the edges brown too much. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

 Filling and Baking

Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the dough. Peel, core, and slice a little thicker than 1/4 inch:

3 pounds apples (6 to 8 medium-large)

Heat in a very wide skillet or pot over high heat until sizzling and fragrant:

3 T buttery spread (such as Earth Balance)

Add the apples and toss until glazed with butter. Reduce the heat to medium, cover tightly, and cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened on the outside but still slightly crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t salt

Increase the heat to high and cook the apples at a rapid boil until the juices become thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Immediately spread the apples in a thin layer on a baking sheet, and let them cool to room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the apple mixture into the bottom crust. Cover with a pricked or vented top crust or a lattice. Bake until the crust is richly browned and the filling has begun to bubble, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack, 3 to 4 hours.

If you wish to serve the pie warm, place it in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. The pie is best if eaten promptly, but it can be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.