Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Pie

Recently, my husband and I decided to try a Gluten Free diet.  Purely for experimental purposes.  Turns out, my husband has had amazing results.  He hasn't had any of the Asthma problems he usually has on a daily basis.  No inhaler needed for weeks. I haven't been on it as long so I haven't noticed anything yet but we'll see.

Anyways, we've gotten a couple of cookbooks to help us out and we've tried a couple of great recipes lately. Some of you might be wondering what Gluten is exactly.  Well here you go:

1. a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease.

So, Gluten can also just be a sensitivity in some people which apparently it is in my husband and switching to non-gluten items is pretty easy. It's such a common problem now that there are Gluten Free items available everywhere. There might even be a "Gluten Free" section of your grocery store.

I did have to run out and get some new items to bake this pie but they are items I'll use over and over in the future.

The Pie was wonderful.  The flavor was just what you'd expect with the added benefit of those chewy cranberries.  The crust was a little difficult to work with.  It crumbled easier then a normal crust so I needed up adding a little water and making sure it was really cold before trying to work with it. Make sure your rolling pin is well gluten-free floured up. After moving most of it to the pie plate I ended up just pressing pieces into the dish to make a complete pie crust.  It worked well in the end, just be aware that it's much more crumbly. The flavor is great however, similar to a regular pie crust but the texture is more on the crumbly side as I just mentioned. I used Gala apples but you can use whatever apples you want, just adjust the sugar based on how sweet the apple is.

Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Pie

Recipe from 101 Best Gluten-Free Foods cookbook page 71

Ingredients

Filling

• 6 medium apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Crust

• 2 cups Gluten Free all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cold butter
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cider vinegar

Cooking Directions

1. Make the dough first, so there's time to chill it. Add the first 6 ingredients to a bowl and use a pastry cutter to blend it until only small pieces of butter remain.
2. Make a whole in the center and add the eggs and vinegar, mix together just until incorporated.
3. Cut into two equal pieces and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
4. When the dough is chilled, start preheating the oven to 425º
5. In a large bowl mix the filling ingredients and stir together so it's all coated.
6. Roll out one of the crusts on a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 thick and place in the pie dish. I found it easier to just press the dough into the dish since the dough can be crumbly.
7. Add the apple filling on top of the dough and then top with the other piece of dough that has been rolled out.
8. Cut the dough to allow for ventilation.
9. Bake at 425º for 12 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350º and bake for 30-40 minutes. Check the apples to make sure they have softened.