Gluten free Buttermilk Pie

Hi everyone,

I’ve made a couple of the Impossibly Easy Pies with my gluten free biscuit mix and wanted to share my observations thus far.

Crusts

1. First off, it is quite a pain in the rear to mix up 1/2 cup of biscuit mix just to make a pie. Go ahead and make up a big batch so that you can have pie now and biscuits on Saturday morning.
2. The Spinach Parmesan Pie is not very tasty. Thankfully my one year old is still accustomed to bland foods so he ended up eating 75% of the pie.
3. On the other hand, since I do want to find my abs again someday, I will not be making this buttermilk pie again anytime soon. I ate 100% of it.
4. I did use xanthan gum in the mix for this first round of experiments and it didn’t seem to affect the texture of the pie negatively.
5. The bottom crust is not very crust-like. However, it does hold together so that you can cut a piece of pie and lift it out without everything falling apart. I think I’m okay with this – it’s the trade-off for being able to have a quick and easy gluten free pie.
6. A thicker, more biscuit like crust formed on the sides and around the top edge of the pie.

Carrots

The other night I needed to make a pantry supper and the only fresh vegetable that we had was a bag of carrots. As a kid, I detested cooked carrots. I remember gagging in horror when my mom served Copper Penny Carrots. I’ve concluded that the error that many people make in cooking carrots is to add lots of additional sugar. Carrots are naturally sweet, and you can best enhance that by adding savory flavors when you cook them.  Here’s what I threw together for our supper. There were no leftovers.

Mary’s Savory Carrots

2 carrots per person
1 green onion per person
enough vegetable stock to cover the carrots (a little more than a cup, maybe?)
1/2 Tbsp. honey per person
a sprinkle of ground allspice (optional)

Slice the carrots into circles. finely chop the green onions. Put the carrots and onions into a pot and add enough vegetable stock (or chicken stock) to cover. Stir in the honey. Cook over medium heat until carrots are tender.

Coupon Codes

Amazon is running several gluten free sales this month. All of the Betty Crocker gluten free mixes are 15% off. Namaste  baking and entree products are 10% off. Pamela’s baking mixes and cookies are 10% off.Nature’s Path and EnviroKidz cereals and cereal bars are also 10% off.

These are the coupon codes that you’ll need at checkout. Click Here to go to the sales page.
Betty Crocker Coupon code: BCGLFREE
Namaste Coupon code:NMST7II9
Pamela’s Coupon code:PMLAI822
Nature’s Path and EnviroKidz Coupon code: ENVR9333

Cute Toes

Baby L arrived a few weeks ago, and  as promised, here are a couple of pictures. She’s doing well, but her momma could use some more sleep.

Related Posts:

• Gluten Free Pie Crust: Impossibly Easy
• Hershey Pie with a Rice Cereal Crust

I am, however, intrigued by the concept of the Bisquick Impossibly Easy Pies. These are sweet and savory “pie” recipes that General Mills published back in the early 80′s. Bisquick mix is added to the pie filling, and when the pie bakes the Bisquick forms a crust in the bottom of the pan. Easy enough!

I’ve been wanting to try some of these recipes because it seems like an easy way to cook a quick supper. However, until General Mills releases their new gluten free Bisquick this summer, and possibly even after that, I need a Bisquick type mix to use in the recipes.

Bisquick is simply the dry ingredients for biscuits, plus partially-hydrogenated oil. In order to make a gluten free version all you have to do is mix up the dry ingredients for your biscuit recipe (flour, salt, and baking soda/baking powder), cut in the butter or shortening, and then store in the freezer. Depending on your dietary needs, the fat component can be butter, vegan butter, shortening, or coconut oil.

The only real question that I have about making the homemade mix is whether or not to add xanthan gum. My gluten free  biscuits recipe does include xanthan gum to prevent crumbling, but I’m not sure that it’s needed for these pie recipes.  Xanthan gum reacts to liquids, unlike gluten which is only activated after it has been disturbed by stirring or kneading, so adding xanthan gum to the mix might result in a finished pie that is not the right consistency. Howver, I can’t imagine that the gluten free Bisquick recipe won’t have xanthan gum in it. I think the only option is to try some of these recipes both ways.

Here is the recipe for the biscuit mix if you’d like to join me in this experiment. Many of the Impossibly Easy Pies call for 1/2 cup of Bisquick, so I’ve included the measurements for 1/2 cup and for a larger batch.

Here is a short list of some of the Impossibly Easy Pie recipes – there are many more official recipes on the Betty Crocker website, but you can also find others by googling “impossible pie recipes”. Post your results in the comments; if you’d like to send a picture then email it to maryfrances [at] glutenfreecookingschool [dot] com. Happy Baking everybody!

Pumpkin Pie                              Chicken & Broccoli Pie
Easy Taco Pie                           Ham & Swiss Pie
Bacon Pie                                   Coconut Pie
Cheesecake Pie                        French Apple Pie
Coconut Chocolate Pie         Spinach – Parmesan Pie

Gluten Free Quick Biscuit Mix
(makes 4 and 2/3 cups)
1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
2 c. corn starch
1/2 c. soy flour or sorghum flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
1 stick of butter

(makes 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. + 1 3/4 tsp. brown rice flour
3 Tbsp. + 1 1/4 tsp. corn starch
2 1/2 tsp. soy flour or sorghum flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
2 1/2 tsp. butter

Instructions: Mix dry ingredients together and then cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender, or by pinching the butter into small chunks and then whirring everything together in your food processor. Store in the freezer for up to six months.

Related Posts:

• Crusts, Carrots, Coupon Codes, and Cute Baby Toes
• Hershey Pie with a Rice Cereal Crust

By this Friday our newest little one will have made an entrance into the world, so our weekly pizza feast may have to wait a few days. But if you’d like to throw your own pizza party in our honor,scroll to the bottom of the post for some tips on making the perfect gluten free pizza.

By the way, the thin crust recipe is new, and if you’d like the recipe then be sure to sign up for my free gluten free newsletter via the Subscribe Box in the sidebar (click here to get to the site if you’re reading this by email or RSS feed). Most new recipes will be sent to the  newsletter readers first, rather than immediately posted to the blog. You will also get a copy of my Top 10 Gluten Free Recipes (in printable format) when you subscribe.

Those of you who are new to the gluten free diet are probably just glad to hear that there is such a thing as mouthwatering gluten free pizza. You can stop buying the incredibly expensive and incredibly gross frozen gluten free pizzas and start making your own. If the thought of rolling out a pizza crust terrifies you, then try this gluten free pizza recipe, where you just pat the pizza dough into the pan. If you’d rather roll the dough out so that you can cook it on a pizza stone, then try my recipe for gluten free pizza crust.

Check back soon for pictures of the new baby and pictures and posts of all of the yummy gluten free foods that we’re cooking. I’ve come up with a new biscuit recipe that is a perfect recipe for kids to help out with, and I’m hoping to do some more yeast roll experiments if Baby L makes us wait a few more days.

Five Tips for a Gluten Free Pizza Party:

1. If at all possible, pre-bake your crust on a hot pizza stone (just until it’s golden on top). The extra time in the oven, makes for a crisper crust.

2. Buy your pizza sauce, so that you can spend your time on prepping a few fresh pizza toppings. And have fun, a cheese pizza is great, but there really are so many possibilities.

3. Involve your family or friends. Whether it’s just family for supper, or you’ve invited a bunch of friends, you can have a lot of fun by letting everyone make their own pizzas. David is almost four now, and he loves to roll the pizza crusts out (with help from me) and sprinkle his toppings on.

4. Put Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the table, so that it feels like you’ve gone out for restaurant pizza. Get special cups and straws for the kids so that it feels like a special meal.

5. Make it a real party and let everyone have their beverage of choice. For us this means soy milk for David, Pomegranate Italian Soda for me (the major craving of this pregnancy), and gluten free Redbridge beer for John.

Related Posts:

• Gluten Free Pizza: Homemade Gluten Free Pizza Crust
• Gluten Free Pizza Recipe

For the past couple of years, John and I have used some special tools from Triumph Dining to make eating out easier. These tools have helped us find restaurants that understand the gluten free diet! The tools have also helped us to communicate with waiters and chefs that were not familiar with a gluten free diet, but really wanted to help us find something to eat. Until you’ve experience it, you won’t believe how nice it is to eat food prepared by chefs that really care about feeding you well and enjoy the challenge of creating a great gluten free dish.

The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide

John’s sister lives in St. Louis and when we first visited her there I was a little wary of how we would handle our food needs while staying in a hotel.  We’ve traveled enough  to know that not planning for our meals can put a damper on an otherwise great trip.  Triumph Dining had recently sent me a copy of  “The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide” so I pulled it out and flipped to the section on St. Louis.  And am I ever glad we did! We discovered the most amazing little hole-in-the-wall breakfast cafe that makes gluten free crepes.  Rooster: Crepe.Sandwich.Cafe is now one of those places that we have to visit when we’re in St. Louis.

“The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide”  is a huge listing of gluten free friendly restaurants organized by state and city. Both chain restaurants and local restaurants are included. All of the listings include at a minimum the restaurant’s name, address, and phone number. However, many of the listings also include the general price range of the entrees, the restaurant’s web address, and comments on what types of gluten free items are on the menu, as well as the restaurant manager’s suggestions for ensuring that you get special treatment from the restaurant staff.  Gluten free menus for many chain restaurants are included near the back of the guide.

Our next trip to St. Louis was for John’s sister’s wedding and the Gluten Free Restaurant Guide save the day once again. The caterer for the wedding reception was not able to provide a meal for us, so we used the Restaurant Guide to find the closest Maggiano’s. John and I slipped out after the wedding, picked up take-out from Maggiano’s, and got back to the reception before the rest of the guests finished going through the buffet.  If we hadn’t had The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide to help us find a restaurant, we probably would have had a horribly little pity party. Instead, we ate a great meal (probably better than the caterer’s) and got to spend plenty of time enjoying the  wedding party with the bride and groom.

Triumph Dining Cards

So, I know some of you are probably saying, “I live in the middle of Nowhere, Alabama, and I don’t think that a gluten free restaurant guide is going to help me eat out at either of the two restaurants in town.”

You’re right!  But, that’s why Triumph also publishes the Triumph Dining Cards.  These handy-dandy little cards (which are the perfect size for a purse, backpack, diaper bag, glove box, etc) can help you obtain a gluten free meal in any restaurant that employs at least one person who can read English, Chinese, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish (Mexican), Thai, or Vietnamese.

Close your eyes and just think for a moment of how amazing it would feel to walk into your favorite ethnic restaurant, whether it’s Thai or Southern Fried Everything, and not have to try to explain what gluten is. Instead, you just hand the server your Dining Card and the Dining Card explains everything that the server and chef need to know in order to provide you with food that you can actually eat. Isn’t that a nice image?

Get Out There and Explore

Now that our third kiddo is on the way, John and I are making a concerted effort to go out to eat by ourselves at least once a month. And while our favorite Thai restaurant is safe, we’re ready to explore other options. We’re going to be making use of the Triumph Dining Cards and The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide as we do. And whenever we find a product that we love, we like to share it with our readers too. While both of these tools are available on Amazon, you can only order both products at the reduced “combo” price through a Triumph Gluten Free affiliate. And since we think that the “combo” is the only way to go, we’ve signed up as Triumph Dining affiliates so that we can offer you The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide and the Triumph Dining cards at a 23% discount off of the regular price.

If you’re interested in either the Restaurant Guide or the Dining Cards, or just want to find out some more details, click the link to head over to the Triumph Dining website. Feel free to leave any comments or questions about the products in the Comments below.

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By the way, Gluten Free Cooking School now has over 2400 readers! I’d love to see how many comments we can get on this one post. Who knows, maybe if you tell the universe what you need, you’ll get an answer =)

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Since our family cannot live without gluten free bread, we’ve been surviving on my gluten free flatbread recipe. We’ve been making this for years, but I hadn’t posted it before because it was based off of Kate’s gluten free wrap recipe. However, over the years my lack of willingness to buy tapioca flour, read cooking instructions, or buy $6 of yeast every week has made this recipe into something I consider my own. After finally stumbling on the secret to making this gluten free bread without yeast – I literally stumbled and spilled all of the yeast – this recipe is finally ready for public consumption.

When the bread has finished baking, but each 8 in square into 4 pieces. Then use the the pieces to make sandwiches – we’ve had everything from grilled cheese, to vegan BLTs, to Reubens, to PBJ’s. It’s not as fast as grabbing gluten free bread out of the freezer, but it tastes SO MUCH BETTER!

Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe

1 c. brown rice flour
1/2 c. corn starch
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. water
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. canola
2 eggs (or flax eggs)

1. Mix all dry ingredients in medium size bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Grease two 8 in. square baking pans and dust with brown rice flour.
4. Spread half of batter evenly into each pan. Use the back of a wet spoon if the dough is sticky.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes, or until bread pulls away from the sides of the pans.

Substitution Notes: Tapioca starch or potato starch can be substituted for the corn starch. Flax eggs are 1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp. water. I haven’t tried egg replacer since I generally have flax seed on hand.

Related Posts:

• Gluten Free Bread: Submarine Rolls
• Finally, Really Good Sandwich Bread: Our Favorite Gluten Free Bread Recipe
• Gluten Free Bread: Banana Bread
• Yummy Sandwich Bread (Gluten Free, Casein Free, Soy Free)
• Gluten Free Southern Cornbread