Hey there everyone!! I hope you’re having a good morning so far!
Welcome to another How-To Tuesday here at A Dancer’s Live-It!!
(Image Credit: A Spicy Perspective)
Okay, so that photo gave away what we’ll be talking about today, because I am really determined to make a pie from scratch this year for Thanksgiving!!
Ahhhh, there’s nothing better than taking a huge bite of a delicious pie (namely, pumpkin) with an equally delicious crust. It’s SO incredibly satisfying! For this particular how-to, I’m thinking about making a vegan and gluten-free pumpkin pie from Minimalist Baker. But shhhh, don’t tell anyone! I want them to be surprised. (That means you Mom!)
The Basic Four
There are just four basic ingredients in a pie crust: flour, fat, water, and salt.
From there, you can come up with all kinds of tasty variations just by altering your basic ingredients, as long as you stick to the ratio of three parts flour, two parts fat, and one part liquid.
So, after doing a bit of research/recipe reading, I’ve come to these 5 conclusions about creating the perfect pie crust:
- Your ingredients should be very, very cold. Yes I’m speaking about your butter, but you should really even put your bowl of flour in the freezer as well and if you’re using a pastry cutter, you can even throw that in the freezer for a few minutes, too. The colder the ingredients and equipment, the less risk there will be for the butter to melt or become overworked (an enemy to flaky pie crust).
- Secret ingredient: Use a dash of apple cider vinegar in your pie dough. Add 1 teaspoon to your current favorite recipe at the time in which you’re adding your ice water. Vinegar helps prevent the formation of gluten which makes for a tough crust. (For this recipe I won’t be using it, but just for future reference!)
- Always let your dough rest for at least one hour. Again, it’s all about gluten, and instead of going into the science behind it all, just trust me that after working your ingredients together and getting everything all excited, it’s got to have time to relax in order for it to be on its best behavior when you’re rolling it out.
- Take charge of the flour: Use flour liberally to roll out your dough. However, once your dough is rolled to the appropriate diameter, take a pastry brush and brush off any and all excess (on both sides). The last thing you want is a nice round of pie dough that’s cloaked in flour that will kill any hopes for light and flaky crust right there.
- Don’t stress. I know, it sounds silly, but I firmly believe that if you relax in the kitchen and take things step-by-step knowing that they’ll come out just fine, then they will! Sure, you may discover something that can be tweaked. But other than that, you’ll have a pie in no time! 🙂
That being said, here’s the breakdown for the pie crust of the recipe I’m going to be testing out:
Again, the first and last ingredients (butter and water) should be very cold! Trust me on this.
Gluten-Free flour: For this particular recipe, I wouldn’t substitute it. Bob’s does sell a Gluten-Free All-Purpose, but this blend contains some beans flours. The new gluten-free flour is bean-free, delicious and extremely versatile!
Ready? Okay let’s do this! 🙂
Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
(Thanks Minimalist Baker!)
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free
Serves: 10
Ingredients
CRUST
FILLING
- 2 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (~1 1/2 15-ounce cans)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, or melted coconut oil
- 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or sub mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- To prepare crust, add gluten free flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slice or dollop the cold butter in and work gently with a fork or pastry cutter to cut it in. Don’t overwork, just get it incorporated.
- Next add ice cold water a little at a time and use a wooden spoon to stir. Only add as much water as you need to help it come together.
- Once a loose dough is formed, transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and work gently with your hands to form a 1/2 inch thick disc. Wrap firmly and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes, up to 2 days. Just let it warm back up a little before using. You don’t want it too warm or it can get too soft to handle.
- Once your dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare pie filling.
- Add all pie ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- To roll out the crust, unwrap the disc and place it between two sizable layers of wax paper (plastic wrap will work OK, but is a little more difficult to work with). Use a rolling pin to gently roll it into the shape of your pie pan. If it cracks, don’t stress – you can reform it with your hands once you get it in the pan. But try and be gentle.
- To transfer the crust, remove the top layer of wax paper and gently lay the pie dish face down on top of the crust and use the support of the wax paper to quickly but carefully invert it. Don’t overthink it – just do it.
- Once you get the crust inverted, gently use your hands to form it into the pan, working the crust up along the sides. It can be a little tricky but it bakes beautifully, so it’s worth the effort! Just try not to overwork the dough in the process – it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to perfect the shape. Any holes or cracks can be mended with a little excess dough and the heat of your hand.
- TIP: I would advise against trying to be fancy and do any elaborate design with the crust, so just get the crust in, get a flat edge and go.
- Pour filling into pie crust and bake for 58-65 minutes. The crust should be light golden brown and the filling will still be just a bit jiggly and have some cracks on the top. Remove from oven and let cool completely before loosely covering and transferring to the refrigerator to fully set for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream and an additional sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice (optional).
* If not Gluten Free, find Dana’s traditional crust here.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 171 Fat: 7.8g Saturated fat: 2.1g Carbohydrates: 25g Sugar: 10.9g Sodium: 188mg Fiber: 3.5g Protein: 2.3g
Wow! That’s an awesome nutritional profile! I’ll take 2 slices please…
Cheers and happy baking this holiday season, my friends!
Have a terrific Tuesday!! 🙂
XOXO