It is the season my friends. The season of all things fruitastic and I can tell you that I am LOVING the bounty! I can't get enough of all these local organic plums and peaches and wild blueberries and cherry tomatoes and, and, AND!
The best way to enjoy the first is fully naked -- the fruit, not you (though feel free). I'm talking about giving it a nice rinse and biting in, savouring that juicy mess.
I often find myself so enchanted with all this fruit that the only option I have is to freeze a load of it and bake the rest. So that's what I did!
I recently wrote you a love letter about the horrors of "vegetable oil"-based Crisco (what I call #barftown). Now, I wouldn't make you forgo your granny's fave secret for flakey pie crust and leave you dried out and crumbling without a super pie solution. This, my friends, is the solution. Is it light and flakey like a crust you'd make out of processed, cancer causing, pesticide ridden fat? Nope. Not in the least. Can you get past that and join me anyway?
You can. I know you can!
Here a present to you my updated version of this recipe. It's been cleaned up a little over the years, but this is the best crust I have ever created that will hold together, bake up just firm enough but not too hard and not too soft and really, the perfect outfit to dress up these peaches, or any other fruit for that matter.
For the record, this recipe also doesn't contain any weird soy modifiers, binding agents or suspect oils. Just goodness.
Enjoy!
Everybody Loves Gluten-Free Vegan Pie
Pie Filling
5 cups fresh fruit, cut up to desired size (some like chopped, others in thin slices)
2 tbsp arrowroot starch
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut sugar / dry sweetener of choice
2 tsp vanilla extract
- Combine dry ingredients until well mixed
- Combine all ingredients together and set aside.
Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust Miracle
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour or all purpose gluten-free flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
2 tbsp coconut sugar /dry sweetener of choice
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup olive oil (or ghee if you love it)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
- Lightly oil a 10 inch pie pan
- In a bowl, combine you flour blend, sea salt and sugar choice
- In a blender or large mixing bowl with wisk, combine oils, water, and cider vinegar
- Pour oil mixture into dry ingredients and get on in there with your hands until well mixed (but let's not overdo it here). Dough will be a little moist.
Pie Construction
- Divide dough in half and keep one half covered with a cloth (to keep it from drying out)
- Roll out the other half between two sheets of parchment.
- Carefully place the dough in the pie plate. (This may tear a little but it's the underside so no one will see it anyway).
- Fill crust covered pie plate with peach/fruit mixture
- Roll out the second ball of dough and cover the pie, or cut into ribbons and lay across pie in alternating directions.
- Use your artful skills to pinch the edges how you like them.
- If covering the pie completely, make slits in the top of your pie to let the steam out.
- Chill pie in the freezer for 30 mins.
- Pre-heat oven to 350
- Bake the pie in the oven for about 45 minutes.
- All to cool and then dive in!
Note: This pie filling and crust use minimal sweetener. If you are new to this kind of pie, you may wish to add more sugar to the mix.
What is your favourite summer baking treat?
