My Favorite Gluten-Free Pie Crust (yes I know this is a tart!)

Hi Bakers,

It's pie season, and you need to know how to make a pie crust everyone will love. It’s tender, buttery, and unbelievably gluten-free!  I use this recipe to make all of my pies, plus tarts and galettes too. Your guests will have no idea it’s gluten-free! This recipe contains butter, milk powder (in the flour), and whey protein, so it's not dairy-free. If you have trouble finding any of the ingredients, you can easily find them online.  I hope you love it as much as I do and feel more confident making pies this holiday season! Enjoy! ~Carolyn

My Favorite Gluten-Free Pie Crust

Makes two 9” single pie crusts

Dry

2 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose (Original blend) gluten-free flour**

1 teaspoon sweet rice flour

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon plain whey protein powder

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Wet

2/3 cup cold butter, cut into small chunks

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Use your measuring spoon, not the marks on the package, for best accuracy.)

~3 1/4 tablespoons ice water

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

Cut in the butter and shortening with your fingertips, a fork, or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs but still has some small bits of butter. Sprinkle in the ice water one tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough starts to form moist clumps. You may not need all the water to make the dough. Stop adding water when you press the dough together, and it forms a ball. Continue mixing/kneading the dough for a minute. Unlike regular pie dough, mixing this gluten-free one helps it stay together. Divide into 2 flat discs, cover, and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board as desired for your recipe.  The usual thickness for pies is about 1/8", so that is something to shoot for. If the dough splits when you roll it out, you can patch it back together. For a more golden-glazed look to the top crust, brush it with egg wash ( a little water added to a beaten egg) or cream before baking. To make it even more decorative, I use dough scraps left over from my crusts to cut into decorations and place them on top. Brush the bottoms of your decorations with beaten egg or a little water to stick them onto your crust, and then bake your pie. If your pie isn't done baking and the crusts are getting too brown, remember you can cover the edges or top crust with foil to prevent burning.

**  Cup4Cup Multipurpose Original (blend with milk powder) of flour works best for my recipe, and using another brand may result in less than ideal results.