Peach Melba Pie with butter on top

It’s November and tis the season for yummy pies! Truthfully, I think pies are good any time of the year, but there is something about November with pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate pie…

Pie recipes often call for shortening and we wanted to know, can butter be substituted and still make a flaky crust? Since I am still trying to figure out how to make a perfect pie crust (and I took Home Ec, too!), I put my mom to the task. She makes the best pie crusts. The fillings are really good, too. She set about substituting Tillamook Butter for shortening in her favorite pie crust recipe. And the result: “The crust was REALLY flaky,” she said.

Just in time for you to make your favorite Thanksgiving pie, here’s the pie crust recipe and a pie that my mom just happened to whip up, and my dad got to enjoy, for this little experiment.

Mary Jo’s Pie Crust (Nope, my mom’s name isn’t Mary Jo)

Yield: 6-7 single crusts or 3 double crusts

Ingredients
5 cups flour
2 cups cold Tillamook Unsalted Butter (1 lb)
1 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg

Preparation
Place several ice cubes and about 1½ cups of water in a 2-cup measuring cup and then set aside. Break egg into a 1-cup measuring cup, beat slightly, and then set aside. Cut the butter into small cubes and then set aside. Mix together the flour and salt.

Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the cubes of butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a crumble. Do not over mix. The tiny balls of butter will make your crust flaky.

Pour enough of the iced water into the measuring cup with the beaten egg to make 1 cup. Pour the egg/water mixture into the crumble and mix with a spoon or your hands just until all of the flour has been incorporated. Divide into 6 balls.

On a floured board, immediately roll out the crust(s) you plan to use right away. Chilling your crusts after shaping and placing them in pie plates while you make your filling or before baking will reduce shrinkage.

This crust keeps well for several days in the refrigerator and also freezes well. Tightly wrap the balls of dough you will not be using in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped balls in a freezer bag or foil and refrigerate or freeze. Thaw frozen balls in the refrigerator when ready to use. If you don’t want to make a crust every time you want a pie, just pull out a ball of dough, defrost it a little and voila, you are ready for your filling!

The traditional pies are my favorite for Thanksgiving, but sometimes it’s nice to try something a little different. Need a pie idea for your holiday meal? How about this one? It is also really great for summer with a scoop of Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Peach Melba Pie

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients
4 cups fresh peaches (peeled and sliced)
4 cups fresh raspberries (rinsed)
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon Tillamook Butter (cut into small pieces)
2 pie crusts
Egg wash

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and then roll out and place one crust in a pie plate. Using a knife, trim the crust to the outer edge of the pie plate. Chill. Roll out the second crust and then place it on a cookie sheet and chill until ready to use.

Place the peaches and raspberries in a large bowl. Mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour the sugar mixture over the peaches and raspberries and gently toss, trying not to break up the raspberries. Pour the fruit mixture into the chilled pie crust.

Place the small pieces of butter on top of the fruit. Slightly wet the outer edge of the crust with water. Place the second crust on top of the fruit, pressing the edges to seal. Using a knife cut off the extra dough from the top crust leaving about ½ inch beyond the edge of the pie plate. Tuck the extra dough UNDER the edge of the bottom crust to fully seal. Crimp the edge and prick or cut the top crust to vent.

Make an egg wash using 1 egg and a small amount of water, and lightly brush the top crust with the egg wash. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden. Serve with Tillamook Vanilla Bean or Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream.

Note: This pie is juicy, especially if the peaches are very juicy and/or the raspberries break up during mixing.

By Chandra

I’m so excited about today’s blog, and I’m not even on a gluten-free diet! Not only am I thrilled to be able to bring a bounty of gluten-free recipes to you today, I had so much fun working with Bob’s Red Mill, one of our consumer partners based right here in the Pacific Northwest, to gather them up. If you’re not familiar with Bob’s Red Mill, browse their website, check out their products and read about the company. You’ll be glad you did.

Making one dinner, for a large group of people with different dietary restrictions and preferences, can be tough. And Thanksgiving definitely features a lof gluten-FULL dishes. If you’ve been hoping, or needing, to incorporate some gluten-free dishes into your holiday dinner but can’t seem to track any down (or are just looking for a change from the usuals), I’ve got a few to share that should put smiles on everyone’s faces!

GLUTEN-FREE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Contributed by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. and Bob’s Red Mill

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Sorghum Flour
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Potato Starch
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Tapioca Flour
1 tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Tillamook Butter
1/2 cup Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray, set aside. Sift dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Stir in enough buttermilk to form soft dough that holds its shape when pressed together. (You may not need all the buttermilk).

Place the mixture on prepared baking sheet. Lay sheet of waxed paper over biscuit mixture and press to 1” thickness and about 6” x 6” square or circle. Remove sheet of waxed paper and cut into 8 or 9 round biscuit shapes using a 2” biscuit cutter or open end of glass. Remove uncut portions of biscuit dough and gently shape into 2” circles, or simply cut dough into 9 square pieces and spread pieces across baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 9 biscuits.

GLUTEN-FREE EASY AS PIE CRUST
Contributed by Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods

1-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill® Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup (one stick) Tillamook Butter
4 – 6 Tbsp cold Milk

Combine flour and salt, then cut in margarine using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle milk, one tablespoon at a time, while blending, until all ingredients are moist. Using wax paper, place dough onto one sheet, flatten with palm, place another sheet on top and roll out to desired size. Remove the top sheet and invert into pie pan.

To bake the pie crust alone, bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

With pie filling, bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350°F for an additional 40 minutes. Makes 12 Servings.

GLUTEN-FREE CRISPY GINGER COOKIES
Contributed by Bob’s Red Mill

1/2 cup Tillamook Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Sorghum Flour
3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Potato Starch
1/2 tsp Guar Gum
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Ginger, ground
1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
1/4 cup Sugar, reserved

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and blend until combined. Place the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar in a bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and drop into sugar cover the outside of the dough. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

GLUTEN-FREE QUINOA STUFFING
Contributed by Bob’s Red Mill

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Quinoa Grain
1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 cup Water
1/4 cup Tillamook Butter
1 Onion, chopped
6 Celery Stalks, diced
1 tsp Sage, dried
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Parsley Flakes

Bring broth and water to boil. Add quinoa and bring back to boil. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. In a skillet, melt margarine and cook onion and celery on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine prepared quinoa, onion mixture and spices. Place in an 8-inch square pan and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Makes 12 Servings.

GLUTEN-FREE HOLIDAY CUT-OUT COOKIES
Contributed by Carol Fenster, “1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes” cookbook author and Bob’s Red Mill

2 1/4 cups Carol’s Sorghum Blend (recipe below)
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Tillamook Unsalted Butter, at room temperature and cut into tablespoons
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp packed Brown Sugar, light
1 large Egg
1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Almond Extract
White Rice Flour for dusting

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum blend, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the butter pieces until smooth. Beat in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract until well blended. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead it with your hands until very smooth. Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a flat 1-inch disk. Wrap each disk tightly and refrigerate 1 hour.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 15 x 10-inch baking sheet (not nonstick) and line with parchment paper and have it ready.

Put half the chilled dough on a 15-inch square piece of parchment paper that is dusted with white rice flour. Cut a piece of plastic wrap the same size as the parchment paper, lay it on top of the dough, sprinkle it with white rice flour, and roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap and cut out the desired shapes, reserving the scraps. Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Cut the second half of the dough into shapes. Re-roll the scraps from both halves, cut more cookies, and arrange on the baking sheet. If your sheet won’t hold all the shapes, bake two batches.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet on a wire rack 2 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool completely on the wire rack. Bake the second half of the cookies and cool in the same manner. Store undecorated cookies, tightly covered, for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Decorate as desired with frosting, sprinkles, coconut, raisins, chocolate chips, and so on. Makes about 24 cookies (depending on shapes and sizes of cookies).

Carol’s Sorghum Blend: Whisk together 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill® Sorghum Flour, 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill® Potato Starch (or Corn Starch) and 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Tapioca Flour. Store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.  Makes 4 cups.

Thanks Bob’s for contributing to this blog!

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ Bob’s on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

By Jala