I know this gluten-free pie crust recipe is just under the wire but I really think you’ll like it. It’s easy to make, it’s crunchy, and it tastes great. It’s a no-fuss solution for your holiday pies.

The flavor of the figs is allowed to shine in this dressed-up Fig Newton-ish filling.

And, if you’re like me you’ll slice off a piece and eat it for breakfast. I know, maybe I shouldn’t admit that. But when you read the recipe, you’ll see that it’s packed with healthy ingredients. It’s better than a donut any day!

So, you can make your pie, please your holiday guests and have breakfast too.

Ready to make this tart? Get the recipe at the Attune Foods blog!

Note: I am a Brand Ambassador for Attune Foods. This post is sponsored by Attune. Truth be told, I loved their products before I started working with them. Their gluten-free, refined sugar-free, GMO-free cornflakes got me through the first several months of my pregnancy when I could rarely stomach anything else. So, you can rest assured that I am sharing my honest opinion of their products.

Let’s make pie crust!

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

It’s Fall! That means it is a great time to try new recipes with the beautiful fall produce. If you’ve never tried butternut squash before, you really should give it a try. Squash is meant for far more than just decoration!

I’ve been making butternut squash for Nate. He likes it best when mixed with a little coconut oil and pears or applesauce. He loves pumpkin, though. Note to mommas: A few bites is more than enough! Pumpkin puree is so high in fiber that it can really bind up the digestive system.

Winter squash is one of my favorite fall foods not only because it tastes great but because it’s high in vitamins A and C, fiber, and even has some omega-3 fats. Who knew?
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Read the rest of Four Ways to Enjoy Butternut Squash

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us

There’s something alluring about a simple, almost no-bake pie. It takes all the fear out of spending hours making dessert and ending up with a soggy, flat crust. I promise can confidently make and serve this pie. And, you throw it together a day in advance.

I don’t use a traditional roll-out crust for this pie. You can. In fact, I have. It’s delicious with this crust using psyllium husks. But, a press-and-bake nut crust is so simple and pairs perfectly with the filling that there’s no reason to mix, roll, and bake.

I’m sharing this pie now because Joe really likes it even though he’s not crazy about chocolate. It’s creamy and rich – the perfect manly kind of dessert. Of course, my version has a healthy twist so Mom can eat a slice without worrying about it going directly to her hips. But you don’t need to tell Dad that.

Yes, this pie is loaded with dairy. I’m sure it could be transformed with cashews, coconut milk, and agar.

A note about the crust – the link in the recipe takes you to my pecan pie crust. I prefer a walnut crust with this pie. Just substitute an equal amount of walnuts for the pecans.

Enjoy this pie – and if you don’t make the pie at least try the crust. I use it exactly as I would a traditional crust.

And, check out this dairy-free parfait from my friend Alisa. I love how she used cocoa butter.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us

I’m sure you’ve seen Hallie’s recipes before – she’s the author of Daily Bites and has guest posted here more than once.

The introduction of The Pure Kitchen talks about ways to transition to a whole foods diet and how to, as Hallie says, ‘clear the clutter from your kitchen.’ Her recipes include everything from breakfast to dessert. Being a baker at heart, I scoped out all her baking recipes and I like how she thinks. Hallie uses some of my favorite nutrient dense flours. Her recipes are easy to follow, too.

Since the holidays are upon us, I decided to share her Maple Pecan Tart. Knowing that teff flour can have a little crunch depending on how it’s used, I was curious to see how her crust turned out. And, it’s been quite some time since I’ve had anything that resembles a pecan pie (one of my favorites!) so I couldn’t resist.

Her recipe is genius. It’s not cloyingly sweet like a traditional pecan pie. Instead, the filling and the crust bake together so it’s a little cake-like. It has just a hint of cinnamon and a nice crunch from the pecan topping. The teff flour is tender – no crunch at all. And, when you eat dessert you’re getting iron, calcium, and vitamin C.

So, I love this tart. What about Joe? He doesn’t like pecan pie. Not at all. In fact, that’s why I’ve never tried making one. I didn’t want a big ‘ol pie sitting around with no one to eat it. (Well, no one except me…)

He enjoyed this tart every bit as much as I did. I was thrilled, especially because I know it has some nutritional value.

Hallie said this tart makes a yearly appearance on her holiday table. I think it just might make a yearly appearance at our holiday table, too.

Make sure to put the The Pure Kitchen on your must-have list – it’s one of those books you’ll love having on your bookshelf.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us

That’s the great thing about pie crusts. You can easily change the recipe to suit your tastes and specific dietary needs.

I used a mixture of my gluten-free flour blend, sweet rice flour, and psyllium husks to make pie crust without xanthan gum that rolls out easily and allows you to make a beautiful, crimped edge. It also gives the pie crust some flexibility so you can stretch it into the edges of your pan without any major tears. I also find that xanthan gum makes pie crust too tough and not flaky, which is no good.

This recipe makes enough for a deep 9-inch pie pan or a 10 or 11-inch pie pan. Here are some tips for modifying this recipe, choosing ingredients, and making a perfect pie crust for your specific dietary needs:

Flour: Use Authentic Foods Sweet Rice Flour. It’s finely ground and doesn’t taste gritty in the final product. Psyllium husks make the crust more supple so you can easily roll it out and flute the edges.

Fat: I used butter. I love the taste of butter in my pie crust and if handled properly the crust is perfectly flaky. If you need a dairy-free recipe, use chilled non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening has a higher melting temperature than butter so it can create a flakier crust. You can also use a combination of butter and shortening if you want the flavor of butter and the flakiness of vegetable shortening.

Liquid: I used ice water. You can also use egg, heavy cream, or a dairy-free heavy cream substitutesuch as unsweetened MimicCreme. They all have a slight effect on the final product.

Savory or Sweet: The recipe below makes a Pate Brisee, or savory crust. I like the contrast of a savory crust with a sweet pie. If you want a Pate Sucree, or sweet dough, add 1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar to the flour.

Mixing: I used my KitchenAid 5-Quart Mixer because it doesn’t heat the fat the way a food processor does. You can also make this by hand. If you use a food processor, make sure to stop mixing when you can still see large chunks of fat.

Shaggy Mess: This is what you’re looking for when making a pie crust. You want big pieces of fat throughout the dough, which makes the crust flaky. Once the dough is taken out of it’s mixing vessel, you’ll have to pull it together with your hands and press it into a disk. If the dough comes together while you’re mixing, it’s over-mixed and your crust won’t be as tender and flaky.

Keep it Cold: Work quickly and keep your dough cold. The fat should melt in the oven, not while you’re mixing it or rolling it out. Joe gave me a marble pastry board last Christmas and I love using it to roll out pie crusts.

Rolling Out the Dough: Lightly flour the dough with sweet rice flour. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper or waxed paper, peeling the paper back and laying it back across the dough every once in a while to give the crust more mobility. Flip the dough over several times during the rolling process, too, and pull that paper off and reapply as well.

Transfer the Dough to the Pie Pan: Peel away one piece of parchment paper. Use your rolling pin to help transfer the dough to the pie pan so that the side still covered with parchment paper is facing  up. Gently peel away the top layer of parchment paper and work the dough into the pan.

Repairing Cracks: Dip your finger in cold water and patch any cracks.

What kind of pie are you making this holiday? Have any pie-making tips? Share your ideas – I’d love to hear them.

© Amy Green for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments | Add to del.icio.us