GLUTEN-FREE FRESH RHUBARB PIE

GLUTEN-FREE FRESH RHUBARB PIE
Slightly adapted from Hoosier Mama Book of Pie
Makes 1 double-crust pie

Pie Maven Paula Haney uses ‘Crust Dust’ and ‘Pie Wash’ when making her pies; the Crust Dust keeps the bottom crust from being underbaked and soggy while the Pie Wash gives pies a gorgeous golden brown color – I highly recommend taking these extra steps – you’ll make a perfect pie!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PIE:

• 1 double-crust all-butter gluten-free crust (recipe to follow)
• 5 cups chopped rhubarb, about 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• Crust Dust (recipe to follow)
• Pie Wash (recipe to follow)
• Raw sugar for sprinkling

FOR THE CRUST DUST:
Equal parts GF flour mix and granulated sugar; place in a jar with tight-fitting lid and shake well. I usually mix ½ cup GF flour mix with ½ cup granulated sugar, shake and store unused ‘dust’ on the counter.

FOR THE PIE WASH:
Equal parts whole milk and cream; unless you’re going to be baking more than a single pie at a time, I suggest mixing smaller amounts and using only what’s needed. Store in the refrigerator.

METHOD FOR THE PIE:

1. Place the rhubarb in a large glass bowl
2. Combine sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and kosher salt in a small bowl and blend well; pour mixture over the rhubarb and stir until rhubarb is well coated
3. Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons (thin layer) of the crust dust on the bottom of the uncooked pie shell; pour rhubarb mixture into shell, making sure to scrape out all of any of the flour mixture clinging to the sides of the bowl
4. Smooth the rhubarb filling with a spatula and lay the second pie crust on top
5. Trim the edges to 1-inch and gently press edges together to seal; crimp edges
6. Vent pie by cutting a design in the top and place in the freezer for 20-minutes
7. Remove from freezer and place on a foil-lined baking tray; brush with Pie Wash and sprinkle with raw sugar
8. Bake for 45-60 minutes, rotating a half-turn every 20-minutes until crust is a golden brown and juices bubble through the vents. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, wrap with aluminum foil and continue to bake until pie is done

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUST:

• 368 grams Gluten-free AP flour mix, cold (freeze for at least 30 minutes)
• 1 teaspoon psyllium husk OR ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (OMIT if your flour mix has xanthan gum already added)
• 7 grams non-fat milk powder (OMIT if you’re using the Cup-4-Cup GF mix)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 16 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and frozen or well-chilled (2 sticks)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 5 Tablespoon ice water (1-2 Tablespoons more if needed)

METHOD FOR THE CRUST:
Note: It is imperative to the success of your crust that all your ingredients are cold; I keep a tub of AP flour AND butter in my freezer so I can make pie crust whenever I fancy. Or cube cold butter and place in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to making dough.

1. Place chilled GF flour-mix, psyllium husk (or xanthan gum if using), non-fat milk powder, salt, sugar and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times to blend 
2. Add butter and pulse until some of the cubes have blended but will still look chunky – about 8 pulses
3. Mix sour cream, cider vinegar and water in a small bowl and add to the flour-butter mixture; pulse again until the mixture has some larger chunks as well as pea-sized pieces. The dough will not come together in a ball at this point but you should be able to squeeze a small amount together and have it hold together; if it doesn’t or still feels dry, add more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time – no more than 2 Tablespoons added total
4. Dump half of the mixture onto the center of a sheet of plastic wrap and gently press together until the dough comes together in a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap tightly. Repeat with the remaining half and refrigerate both disks at least 2 hours or overnight; this allows the flours plenty of time to hydrate and makes it easier to handle
5. About 15 minutes before rolling, remove from refrigerator to soften; preheat oven to 400 degrees
6. Place one disk between 2 pieces of parchment and roll – size of dough should be approximately 2-inches larger than the dish/pan you are using
7. Remove top piece of parchment and carefully, turn the bottom parchment over so that the crust is now able to be placed into pie tin
8. Gently peel parchment from the crust and nestle the crust into your pie tin; no worries if it tears or is a bit thin near the edges – you’ll use any trimmings to fill in where needed and once the pie is filled and baked, no one is the wiser!
9. Repeat for the second crust; set aside until ready to place on top of filling