Peach Blueberry Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (reserve one to sprinkle on pie crust bottom)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced (6 cups, about 6 peaches)
12 ounces blueberries (2 cups)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 homemade or store-bought double-crust pie dough
1 large egg, separated, white lightly beaten or veganaise/creamer blend
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, 5 TBL tapioca, and salt. Add peaches, blueberries, and lemon juice and toss to combine; let sit 15 minutes. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out half the dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate and sprinkle with a tablespoon of tapioca. Pour in fruit filling and dot with butter.

Roll out remaining dough to a 12-inch round and place over fruit filling. Trim excess and crimp edges to seal. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon cold water or use a TBL of Veganaise with a tsp of creamer. Brush top of dough with mixture of choice. With a paring knife, cut several small slits on top to vent. Set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 60 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil if crust browns too quickly.) Let pie cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours.

Based on a Martha Stewart Recipe. Altered slightly to accommodate my modified diet.

Orange Creamsicles (DF, EF)

1 cup of non dairy yogurt, plain or vanilla (I used a coconut based yogurt)
1 cup of orange juice pulp free
1/8 cup of maple syrup
3 drops orange oil (extract)
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in a small food processor, pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Eat and enjoy!

*Makes four popsicles.

Apple Slab

Apple Slab.  Not the most romantic name for a dessert but you won't care what it's called once you get your first bite.  I made this for the the first time at Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! It's sweet, a bit tangy and full of apple goodness. 

Ingredients

Pie Crust

Use your favorite pie crust recipe.  I made a double batch of Gluten Free Pie Crust and it worked out just perfect for the size of my pan. 

Filling

8 oz. gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca

3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if apples are really tart)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
4 - 5 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how juicy the apples are)
8 Granny Smith or other good baking apple

Glaze

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar)

1/3 cup boiled cider (which you can buy or make yourself pretty inexpensively .  I added a cinnamon stick to the cider while it cooked.)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Enough milk or cream to make the mixture "drizzable".

Directions

Take your pie dough and split it into two parts about 60% and 40%.  Shape each piece of crust into a rectangle; you’re going to be rolling them into rectangles, so might as well give yourself a head start.

Take the larger piece of pastry and put it on a floured work surface (if your using a gluten dough) if it's GF place between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper to roll out.  Start to roll it into an 11” x 15” rectangle.  Lay the dough into the bottom of an ungreased 9"x13" pan. The dough should come up the sides of the pan.  Don't worry about ragged edges, they'll disappear under the top crust.

Messy, huh? That’s OK. Patch up the holes by pushing the pastry together with your fingers, or adding a pinch from the excess on the sides. Push the pastry up the sides of the pan a bit, to make a shallow pastry container for the apples.

In a separate bowl, add the tapioca to the gingersnap crumbs and mix well.  Dump the lot into your dish with the pie dough in it to make an even shallow layer. This will help to absorb the apples’ juice and keep the crust from becoming soggy. 

Put the crust in the fridge while you get the apples ready. And start preheating your oven to 350°F.

Combine in small bowl: sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. In another small bowl combine melted butter and vanilla. Mix first bowl with second now. In third bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch until thick. Now mix with other ingredients. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of this.

Next, we’re going to peel, core, and slice about 5 large or 6 to 7 medium baking apples. An apple peeler/corer/slicer makes this task fast and EASY.  In a large bowl combine the apples with spice mixture. Mix so that all fruit is thoroughly coated.  Lay the apples over the cookie crumbs. 

Roll the remaining piece of pastry into a 9” x 13” rectangle. Flop the top crust over the apples. Yes, apples will poke through. Seal the edges of the two crusts as well as you can. There’ll be places where they don’t quite meet. That’s OK. Just before baking, slash it 6 or 8 times to allow steam to escape. You can apply an egg wash at this point or for a vegan option brush on a mix of veganaise & (soy or coconut) creamer to give the crust a beautiful golden brown color. Put the slab in the preheated 350°F oven, and bake it for an hour or until you see sugary apple gel bubble up through the venting slits. 

No beauty queen, but icing will help its looks.  Remove it from the oven; it’ll be golden brown. Cool the slab completely before glazing.

Here’s a wonderfully tasty glaze: Combine 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup boiled cider, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a small pinch of salt, and enough milk or cream to make the mixture “drizzlable.”

Don’t have boiled cider? Use plain milk or cream, maple syrup, honey, or thawed apple juice concentrate. Start with 1/4 cup of any of these; if you’ve made this kind of icing before, you know it’s easier to add more liquid, than to try to take it away. Add enough liquid to make the glaze pourable. Drizzle the glaze artfully atop the slab.

Cut. Serve. Enjoy!

Original recipe that I altered.

GLUTEN FREE SUGAR COOKIES using EGG

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup butter (room temp)
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg*
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp unflavoured gelatin
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (scant)
1 tbsp milk

DIRECTIONS:

preheat oven to 375*F

In a large bowl, beat margarine and shortening until creamy. Add sugar to cream.
In a seperate bowl whisk egg and vanilla. Add to creamed butter mixture.
Add rice flour, xanthan gum, gelatin, baking powder and salt. Beat well.
Add tapioca starch and potato starch. Beat until well combined.
Add milk if needed.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours.
Divide the dough in half and chill the unused portion of the dough until needed.
On a lightly rice-floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time, to 1/8” thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (if the dough becomes sticky, return to the fridge to chill again.)
Bake at 375*F for 7-8 minutes (for 2 ½ inch cookies; less for smaller ones, more for larger ones) or until the edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

From Sheri L. Sanderson's "Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids" cookbook.
*I've tried making this without eggs... doesn't convert. The cookies melt out of shape too much.

ROYAL ICING

INGREDIENTS:

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder:

4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)
1/2 - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water

DIRECTIONS:

For Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

For Royal Icing with Meringue Powder: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

NOTE:
To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

Makes about 3 cups (Enough for a double batch of the sugar cookie recipe listed above)

Apple-Cranberry Cake

Ingredients:
• 1 3/4 cup (approx. 165 grams) fresh cranberries
• 1 apple, washed, core and diced (I used Gala)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 Tbs. orange zest (optional)
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative, melted (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
• 1/4 cup "natural" (unsweetened) applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (Neilsen-Massey® Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla)
• 1/4 cup sour cream, dairy or non-dairy (Follow Your Heart® Soy Sour Cream)
• 1 1/4 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Sugar-cinnamon mixture for topping (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325° F (static) 300° F (convection)
Wash and remove stems from cranberries. Combine in a medium-sized bowl with the apples, brown sugar, apple cider, orange zest and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Pour into a 9 x 9 square baking pan or a 10-inch pie plate and set aside.
Beat eggs and granulated sugar until light, approximately 1-2 minutes. Add butter, applesauce, vanilla and sour cream, beating until well mixed. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt; beat until fully integrated and smooth.
Pour flour batter over the fruit mixture; sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture, if desired.
Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with or without ice cream (dairy or non-dairy).

~ Jules Gluten Free

Apple Crisp

I like a lot of Streusel Topping on my apple crisp, and this recipe has lots! There’s plenty, even if you use a shallow pan. If you like less topping, halve the streusel recipe. This is also a nice sweet treat for breakfast!



STREUSEL TOPPING
½ cup shortening (or butter at room temp)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup potato starch
¾ cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp xanthan gum
¼ cup milk (or less - add last otherwise it can lose it’s “crumble” and turn to sticky dough)
1 tsp cinnamon

APPLES
5-6 medium apples, peeled, cored, chopped (about five cups)
1½ TBL cornstarch
2 TBL sugar (use a bit more for tart apples)
¼ tsp cinnamon
(I also add a splash of lemon juice and up the spice)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°. In medium bowl, combine all Streusel Topping ingredients. Mix to form small clumpy pieces. If you overmix, you may simply break off small pieces of the topping to form small pieces. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine apples, cornstarch, sugar and cinnamon. Toss to coat well. Put apple mixture into lightly greased pie plate or 1½ quart casserole. Top with streusel mixture.

Bake 35-40 minutes until apples are tender and streusel is browned.

NOTE TO SELF:
Next time try adding cranberries and walnuts with a little bit of lemon zest to the apple mixture before baking. A teaspoon of tapioca is good too to help keep it thick and not get too watery.

Yields: Serves six

Source: Roben Ryberg's The Gluten Free Kitchen

Lemon Meringue Pie

For shell
Use your favorite Pie Crust Recipe. Make enough for a single-crust 9- to 10-inch pie
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line shell with parchment paper and fill with rice or pie weights.
Bake shell in middle of oven 10 minutes.
Remove paper and rice carefully and bake shell until golden, about 12 minutes more. Cool shell in pie plate on a rack.
Lower oven temperature to 350°F.

For filling
1 cup sugar
7 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup milk
4 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

For meringue
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Make filling:
Prep and measure out all ingredients as things go quickly once you get started.
In a heavy saucepan (w/ no heat) whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt and gradually whisk in water and milk, whisking until cornstarch is dissolved.
In a bowl whisk together egg yolks.
Cook milk mixture over moderate heat, whisking, until it comes to a boil and feels "dangerously thick".
Gradually whisk about 1 cup milk mixture into yolks and whisk yolk mixture into milk mixture.
Simmer mixture, whisking, 3 minutes or long enough until it's thick again.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, lemon juice, and zest until butter is melted. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap.

Make meringue:
In another bowl with an electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks.
Beat in sugar in a slow stream, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks.
Pour filling into shell and spread meringue on top, covering filling completely, sealing it to pastry.
Draw meringue up into peaks and bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden, about 15 minutes.
Let cool for about two hours and then refrigerate.

Two Layer Cheesecake with Chocolate Raspberry Coulis

CRUST: Mix in mixer and mold lightly into a 9" pie pan
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I get GF graham cracker crumbs from Outside the Breadbox, Inc. They can be ordered, but our local grocery store carries them (in Oregon/SW Washington).
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (1 stick)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple flavor (optional)
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes

BOTTOM FILLING: Whisk together in a separate bowl until just blended.
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring (optional)
3 eggs
Use mixer to blend the cream cheese and egg mixture together. Mix until smooth then add flour.
12 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 1/2 tablespoons GF flour (I use Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour Mix)
Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 1/2 hour then make topping.

TOPPING: Whisk the following in a mixer.
1 pint sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
Once blended pour over filling and sprinkle with cinnamon (optional). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for a day or at least two hours if you can't stand to wait that long! If making the raspberry chocolate sauce it's best to add it to the cheesecake while it's still warm and before putting into the refrigerator to set. Do not cover with plastic wrap while cooling (even in fridge) as moisture builds up and drips onto surface marring sauce.

OPTIONAL: RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE COULIS:
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup bakers sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Rinse and drain frozen raspberries. Puree in blender with sugar and vanilla. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain out raspberries seeds. Set aside.
2 tablespoons butter
1 oz 87% dark chocolate
In a pan melt butter and add raspberry puree. Turn to low heat. Add in chocolate stirring constantly until melted and throughly mixed with raspberry puree. Add more sugar if too tart or lemon juice if not tart enough. Keep heat on low and simmer (do not boil) to reduce sauce slightly. Remove from heat and pour over top of cheesecake in a thin layer. (You will probably have some sauce left over - it's great on ice cream!)

It's as Easy as Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup sugar (1 cup if apples are really tart)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how juicy the apples are)
8 Granny Smith or other good baking apple

One package ready made crust or your own crust recipe
1 egg (or 1 TBL veganaise and 1 TBL Silk Soy Creamer whisked)
1 dash of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350*

Combine in small bowl: sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 Tbl of the quick-cooking tapioca and lemon zest. In another small bowl combine melted butter and vanilla. Mix first bowl with second now. In third bowl combine lemon juice and cornstarch until thick. Now mix with other ingredients. Set aside. Try not to eat too much of this.

Take apples and peel them. Then half and quarter them, discard the core. Slice into wedges. In a large bowl combine the apples with spice mixture. Mix so that all fruit is thoroughly coated.

Grease a glass pie pan and prepare crust according to directions. Dust the inside bottom of crust with last TBL of quick-cooking tapioca. Fill crust with apple mixture. Place and seal upper crust to lower crust. Cut holes in the top crust to vent steam while baking.

Break egg and whisk with a little bit of water or use veganaise and creamer mix to brush on pie crust for glaze. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg.

Bake for 1 hour or until the pie is golden brown. Great warm with melted caramel and vanilla ice cream!!

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
12 large egg yolks, lightly beaten and strained
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

Directions:
Combine sugar and eggs in a medium saucepan, or in a double boiler. Gradually stir in the lemon juice. Cook, stirring, over low heat until the mix coats the back of a spoon (about 175 degrees F.) Do not allow to
boil!

Remove from heat and whisk until slightly cooled. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add lemon peel.

Store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator. This recipe will make rather a lot of curd so be prepared to share with friends and family!

* * * * *

A lovely, tart spread to have on hand to fill a jelly roll, swirl on top of a muffin, or fill "Thimble Cookies". I also use it, mixed with whipped cream, as a frosting for Angel Food Cake.
~Noreen

Source: "Gluten Free Gems" by Noreen Moses