Last year I tried making gluten-free pie crusts from scratch for Christmas.
It was a disaster.
First the dough wouldn’t hold together long enough for me to roll it out. Then, when I finally was able to roll it out, I couldn’t get it off the parchment paper and into the pie pan in one piece.
It all ended with my husband holding down the parchment paper, me attempting to wield the rolling pin around his arms, and the dough doing whatever it darn well pleased.
For Thanksgiving this year, I tried a new approach. Rather than make the dough from scratch, I used a mix.
Trust me, this was not a cop out.
My husband has Celiac Disease, and I’m constantly looking for ways to make his favorite foods gluten-free—without them tasting gluten-free. The tastiest, most convenient way for me to do this has often been to use store-bought mixes.
I’m all about semi-homemade.
To make the pie crust for these little cuties, I used Glutino’s Perfect Pie Crust Mix.
And you know what? It tasted pretty perfect.
It still didn’t roll out like a gluten-filled pie crust, but it rolled out well enough for me to make one full-size pie.
And it tasted delicious. It was light and flaky, and I even fooled several people into thinking it wasn’t gluten-free.
I ended up making these little pies in a cupcake tin, because I didn’t think I had enough dough to make two full pies. Plus, it was easier to press the dough into the pan by hand than try to roll it out again. Plus, hand-pressing the dough gives these a sweet handmade look.
To make the pies, I followed the instructions on the pie mix box for the crust, and then I used Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Mix to make the filling.
I baked the mini pies at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of each pie came out clean.
These little cuties were a major success this Thanksgiving–among gluten-free and gluten eaters alike! Give them a try and let me know how they turn out!
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