Kitchen Experiments: Rhubarb Pie

There was nothing easy about this recipe. It was incredibly complicated, time consuming and frustrating. But, so worth it! This is the best GF pie crust recipe I've tried, the crust has a good flavor and is nice and flaky. Even my gluten-free-phobic brothers didn't complain too loudly. It wasn't easy, but the result were worth the extra effort.

Donna Jo's Dream Pastry
Source: More from the Gluten Free Gourmet

• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup potato starch flour
• 1 cup sweet rice flour
• 1 rounded teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1 egg, cold
• 1 tablespoon GF vinegar
• 1 tablespoons ice water
• Brown rice flour for rolling (although I didn't end up using any)
  

Begin with the crust because the dough has to chill in the refrigerator at least one hour. Blend together the flours, xanthan gum and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter and Crisco in small dabs until the shortening is the size of lima beans (I went a little closer to cornmeal and didn't notice any ill effects. Of course, lima bean sized shortening clumbs would result in a flakier crust).

Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork, add the vinegar and ice water. Stir into the flour mixture, forming a ball. Knead the dough slightly and divide into two balls. Wrap with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to chill.

Meanwhile, assemble the ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose GF flour, like Bob's Red Mill
  
• 4 cups cut up rhubarb
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg
• cornstarch

Carefully clean the rhubarb and cut into thin slices, mine were a little too thick and didn't quite cook all the way through, but that would be easily fixed with thinner slices. Add the sugar and flour to the rhubarb mixture. Beat the egg with a fork in a small bowl, add a small amount of cornstarch. Add the egg mixture to the rhubarb and set aside.

Now back to the crust. Roll the crust out between two pieces of lightly floured plastic wrap until the desired size for your pie plate. Using the plastic wrap (and a second pair of hands would be a huge help) carefully place the crust into the pie plate and shape. DO NOT REMOVE THE PLASTIC WRAP UNTIL YOUR CRUST IS EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT IT.


Add the filling and follow the same procedure for the top crust. You'll be able to shape the edges easily with the plastic wrap still in place.


Before putting your pie into the oven, protect your crust from over-browning (because that was A LOT of work!) with a light layer of milk brush all over and aluminum foil protecting the edges. A cookie sheet makes moving easier.


Bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes and enjoy!