Sweet & Savory

Before becoming gluten-free I had, in my own humble opinion, perfected the pie crust. I started with the classic Betty Crocker recipe calling for just all-purpose flour, shortening, salt, and water with just a few little tweaks that I've now completely forgotten. Why? None of those tweaks worked with GF ingredients. I tried numerous GF recipes and mixes and I experienced some success (see here and here), but nothing was ever quite the same. Things have changed.

This weekend I went on an Amazon.com fuled cookbook buying spree. Well, I only purchased two books, so it wasn't much of a spree. I had intended to purchase one book I saw in a shop and rather liked, but the review for The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone convinced me I just had to have it. And I'm so glad I followed the impulse to purchase this book, with 240 pages it's a steal at almost $13 and the pie crust recipe alone is worth the purchase price.

This pie crust is phenomenal. It's light and flakey and tastes like I remember pie crust should taste. As printed, it's a perfect accompaniment to sweet fruit filling. With the sugar omitted, it's a perfect foil to savory quiche. The recipe is easy to follow and results in a remarkably pliable dough. I mean, I made handpies with it people! This GF dough is amazingly easy to maneuver.

Long story made short: I recommend this book. I'm looking forward to recipes like chocolate eclairs, fresh rice flour egg noodles and an assortment of new quinoa recipes.

Rice Flour Tart Shell
The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone, Jacqueline Mallorca

1 - 1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (if you want, I always use table salt in pie crust)
1 tablespoon sugar (omit for savory tarts or quiches)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg

Sadly, I am not in possession of a food processor large enough to make the entire dough in as Mallorca recommends. But, I do have a mini food processor and I've achieved good results using this method:

Place half the rice flour and half the butter into food processor. Pulse until combined. Pour into mixing bowl and repeat with remaining rice flour and butter. Add to mixing bowl along with the cornstarch, xanthan gum, salt and sugar (if using). Combine with fingers. Beat the egg and add it to the flour mixture with pastry fork (or fingers, whatever works best). Add one tablespoon cold water and mix. The first time I made this, one tablespoon was just enough liquid. The second time, I needed a little more. Form dough into two balls. Follow cooking directions for pie or tart or quiche.

I used this dough for two Smitten Kitchen recipes: Spinach Quiche, Revisited and Bourbon Peach Hand Pies. I really wanted to make blueberry pie, but fresh blueberries were not to be had at the grocery store. I'll be at my parents' this weekend and I'm planning a pie with fresh rhubarb from their garden. I love rhubarb and I can't understand why they insist on devoting precious garden space to tomoatoes and cucumbers and things of that ilk. Someday, when I have more than a postage stamp backyard, I'll have a rhubarb plantation!


Anyway, the Smitten Kitchen Spinach Quiche was delicious and I've been enjoying leftovers all week in my lunch. Although it had cream cheese, half & half, Gruyere and Parmesan, I don't think it was too decadent paired with a big salad. I just made one tiny adaptation to the Smitten Kitchen recipe, I added a big clove of garlic.

The second recipe wasn't quite a good as I had hoped. Peaches were a last minute substitution when blueberries proved unavailable and they weren't of the highest quality. But, with some goof quality peaches, I'm certain this recipe would be a winner. I love the hand pies concept, so easy to grab in the morning and add to your lunch box. I like something sweet in the afternoons. If only I could get my hands on some blueberries!

I'm obsessed, apparently.