Apple Pie Creation, in pictures

Time again for Apple Pie!  Hubby's birthday yesterday, and that was the request. Went to 3 different stores before I could find Granny Smith Apples, but it was worth it!

(Pastry recipe is already posted)

 Readying the counter-top for the pastry

 Pastry ready to trim.  It held together so well I was able to drape it over my rolling pin and lift onto the pie plate. (Usually I roll out on parchment but I forgot this time)

 My alternate to a top crust or lattice. Roll out pastry and cut with whatever cookie cutter you choose. This cutter is an old tin one from my childhood, and the top crust took about 20 medium sized hearts to cover .  * Symmetry is good here :) 

 This is the caramel sauce that really is the key to the filling. Toss the sliced apples with the sauce, reserving about 1/4 for glazing the top crust

 The glazed top crust, pre- baking. You can see the first row of hearts at the rim are placed side to side (no overlap), but the following rows do overlap. You can have lots of fun with this.

 The finished beauty!

Yum.

You can see the caramel has set- the key is to let the pie cool off at least a couple of hours before  cutting into. This was so amazing my Mother-In-Law (who is Celiac) could barely contain herself :)

Filling recipe to follow.

Buckwheat Gluten Free Pancakes

I was scrolling around GF sites the other day, and saw a request for GF pancakes, asking which flours work best. Well, the first thing that came to mind was Buckwheat (not actually of the wheat family). However, I have had varying success with pancake recipes. Sometimes they end up too runny, too thick, no flavour etc. I thought I would try a different flout combo and see how it turned out: half buckwheat and one quarter sweet rice flour (which I use in my pastry), and one quarter tapioca starch.
A winning combination in my books- the kids did not even ask if they were GF. The texture was great, the flavour delicious, the even LOOKED like"real" pancakes. Forgot to take pics- story of my life!!
Here it is:

Buckwheat Gluten Free Pancakes

1 cup milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 egg
2 Tb melted butter

Mix together milk and vinegar- set aside for 5 minutes while you combine other ingredients.
(The milk/vinegar combo mimics buttermilk, a good substitution for me because I never have buttermilk!)
Combine dry ingredients, and blend well.
Add egg and butter to milk mixture. Whisk flour mixture into wet until smooth. Adjust with additional milk if you want a thinner pancake.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then cook on griddle over med heat.
HINT: if you have any leftover pancakes (I had one) you can make a nice rustic yet decadent dessert by sprinkling the pancakes with chocolate chips and popping in the oven until melty but still holding their form. Drizzle with syrup.
I do love leftovers...

Pate Sucree, Gluten Free

Pâte Sucrée, Gluten Free

1 1/2 Cups my GF flour Combo (see below)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp xantham gum

For the flour mix I used the same combination I usually use for regular pastry. This combo makes too much for this recipe, so combine and then store the leftovers for next time:
  1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
  1/2 cup Cornstarch
  1 cup Sweet Rice flour (also called Glutinous flour, but don't worry, it is flour made from Sushi rice!)
  1/4 cup Potato starch (NOT potato flour)

Cream butter in mixer. Add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Add lightly beaten eggs- bit by bit-and continue mixing until well incorporated.  Measure out your 1 1/2 cups of flour in separate bowl, and add salt, guar gum and xantham gum. Mix well.  Add flour mixture all at once to butter mixture and mix until dough forms a ball. Place on sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a disc, wrap well and place in fridge to chill (30 minutes).

Now, being a Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Pastry), you can just press this dough into your prepared pan.
I wanted to see if it could be rolled for mini tarts, and it does work, but you must wait for the dough to warm a bit.
Roll out on lightly floured (I use sweet rice flour) plastic wrap, as best you can. Don't worry if it breaks- it will!  Simply press back together. Use a 1 cup measure to press the dough into all corners and fluted edges. Trim the top if need be. Prick the base all over gently with a fork to prevent/minimize puffing. Refrigerate, covered loosely, for minimum 30 minutes to reduce pastry shrinkage.
Bake at 400* for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for another 15 minutes.
Let cool in pan before removing.
* I also gave the tarts a light egg-white wash to prevent the pastry from getting soggy once filled: beat one egg white until frothy, and brush on to pastry when just out of the oven.

GF Pastry

This is one amazing pastry recipe. Really. I am so grateful to http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/
This is their recipe, with a few small tweaks. Visit their site!

Julie's Mennonite Gluten Free Pastry

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
• 1 cup sweet rice flour (find in asian supermarkets, also called glutinous rice flour)
• dash of sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• rounded teaspoon of guar gum 
• 1 cup butter (place in freezer 1/2 hr minimum before starting- I'll explain later!)
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 4 tbsp ice water
• sweet rice flour for rolling

METHOD

1. Blend well together the flours, guar gum, salt and sugar. (flours for gluten-free baking must be well-blended)

2. Cut in butter (*for this step,remove butter from freezer, and GRATE directly into flour mixture,tossing to coat with flour.. Work quickly so butter does not get too gummed up!)

3. Beat egg , add vinegar and ice-water.

4. Stir into flour mixture forming a ball. (Add a *little* more water if too dry)

5. Knead until you have a smooth soft ball.(* It will seem quite crumbly, but if you squeeze a handful and it holds together, it is ready. Lay out two sheets of plastic wrap. Place 1/2 dough on each. Press dough into a ball using the plastic wrap, until smooth and combined. Flatten each ball slightly into a fat "pancake". Try not to handle the dough too much, as you don't want to melt the shreds of butter- that is what makes the dough nice a flakey! )

6. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour or more to chill.

7. Roll out between plastic wrap dusted minimally with sweet rice flour.Peel off top layer of wax paper , flip over onto pie plate and then carefully peel off the other layer of wax paper and fit pastry into pie shell fluting edges -- for single crust pie or for double add filling and then top with top crust .

NOTE: I must also add that I could not remember whether or not to grease the pie plate, so I did. I highly recommend that you do the same! The bottom did not stick, held together beautifully, and had a really nice crunch. Enjoy!