Flakey Grain Free Pie Crust

Gluten free baking can be a pain. Most products are dry and contain a million different types of flours and gums that no one keeps stocked in their pantries. But this recipe stands out amongst chalky, sandy, crumbly pie crusts. I served it up with homemade whipped cream and this pie even had my gluten-ful friends craving more.

| RECIPE |

Grain Free Pie Crust

gluten free | grain free | soy free | refined sugar free

Ingredients

2 c almond flour, sifted

2 c coconut flour, sifted

1 c tapioca starch

1 tsp fine sea salt (or other non-iodized salt)

1 c lard, frozen and grated

1 c butter, frozen and grated, plus 1 Tbs for greasing pan

1/2 c icy cold water

2 pastured eggs

2 tsp white vinegar

Procedure:

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until well combined.

Add in grated lard and butter and mix with your hands, breaking up clumps until fat is evenly integrated.

In a small bowl, whisk together water, eggs and vinegar, then pour over dry ingredient mixture stirring as you pour. Use your hands to mix until a dough starts to form.

Transfer to a work station dusted with coconut flour or a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Be careful not to overwork dough. Mold dough into a large ball then cut into 4 even pieces. Form those pieces into balls and wrap with parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. (save dough for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator)

Remove dough from refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (~20 mins)

Meanwhile, grease a pie dish with butter.

Roll out dough between two layers of parchment until large enough to fit your pie dish.

When you have a large enough disk of dough, remove the top layer of parchment and slide the dough, including the bottom layer of parchment paper, onto a large plate. Place the pie dish, upside down, on top of your dough then flip the whole thing so that the pie dish sits on the bottom with the dough lining it. Remove the layer of parchment and fix any cracks or breakages at this point. Poke bottom crust a few times with a fork.

Repeat this method for the top layer of crust once you have added the filling. Seal both crust layers together with your finger or other utensil. To better seal, brush crust with 1 beaten egg.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-20 minutes checking halfway through (cooking time will vary based on on crust thickness, filling and individual oven temperature)

Get creative with your pie fillings! Apples are just coming into season but now is a great time to take advantage of the last of the summer fruit like peaches, nectarines, strawberries, blackberries etc. I made blueberry pie for a client.

Simple Blueberry Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

1 qt blueberries, washed and stems removed.

1/4 c tapioca starch

1/4-3/4 c coconut sugar (to taste)

1/2 tsp cloves (to taste)

1/2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

1 Tbs butter, thinly sliced

Procedure:

In a med pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a low simmer for 5-10 minutes. Berries should start to cook down and mixture should become more liquified with a slightly gelatinous consistency. Pour berries over bottom layer of pie crust, place a few slices of butter on top of filling then place top layer of pie crust on top. Cut a few slices into top crust to allow air to escape then bake.

A few notes on fat in this recipe:

Now I know what your thinking: is lard really healthy?

The answer: absolutely yes!

I know fats got a bad name from 90’s health nuts but they are making a comeback! Just like butter, ghee and coconut oil, lard is a saturated fat that is solid at room temperature. Lard is made by rendering pork fat in a similar process to making ghee. Saturated fats have been consumed by people all over the world for all of history, providing a nutrient dense food that boosts physical health in numerous ways. Saturated fats have documented benefits for the bones, liver, nerves, brain and immune system. Fats are also carriers for fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D and K. Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of your cell membranes, giving your cells integrity and structure, they are essential for maintaining a healthy body at a cellular level, so it is more detrimental to avoid saturated fats than to include them in your diet.

Ingesting saturated fats does not, I repeat does not, increase your risk of heart disease or high cholesterol. Yes it is true that high levels of fat in the blood (in the form of triglycerides) have been linked to heart disease as well as weight gain, but these triglycerides do not come directly from dietary fats; they are made in the liver from any excess sugars that have not been used for energy. The most notable sources of excess sugar in the blood are refined sugars, white flour and simple carbohydrates.

This is an essential fact to understand. Modern nutritionists are slowly getting on board with consumption of healthy fats and debunking the low fat fads. Learn more about the chemistry behind these nutrition findings here.

NOTE: As with all foods, the nutrition your body absorbs from the food is dependent upon the source of the ingredients. There is nothing inherently wrong with consuming saturated fat, but please do not go out and buy pork fat from a factory farm since that animal product will contain unsafe chemicals like antibiotics and hormones among other toxins. I got leftover pork scraps for cheap from Bel Campo Meat Co (one of my local butchers) and rendered the fat myself so I know that this lard is full of health benefits.