Eating (and cooking) with dietary restrictions can be awfully challenging and time consuming! So many of my favorite recipes tend to be full of hidden and not so hidden allergens. I used to eat dairy free for my breastfeeding son, who had a dairy sensitivity. Now we eat gluten free for an intolerance. I've become quite the self proclaimed "expert" at restructuring recipes to avoid allergens but keep our favorite treats, both sweet and savory. So if you eat with a restriction of some kind and want a recipe tested out to replace an "off limits" old favorite, let me know in the comments, and I'll see what I can do for you!
Last week I was really craving one of my favorite spring and summer treats: Lemon Meringue Pie. I think the key to lemon meringue is farm fresh eggs, which I'm fortunate to have a great supply of. These lend that bright yellow color without artificial dyes, which is important to me. The crust gave me some sass, but we had a stern chat and it almost behaved by the end of things. :) So, without further ado, here's my recipe for a tasty gluten free lemon meringue pie. ( Dairy free mods in parenthesis)
Crust:
(adapted from Pamela's Artisan Flour recipe)
- 2-1/2 cups Pamela's Artisan Flour Blend
- 12 to 14 TBS unsalted butter- well chilled (DF: Spectrum shortening, chilled coconut oil, or DF butter substitute)
- 1/3 cup ice water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cream for brushing pie dough before baking (optional) (DF: leave off or brush with egg white instead)
Cut
cold butter and shortening into 1/2" cubes. In separate bowl, combine
flour, sugar and salt. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment,
pastry blender, or using finger, cut in butter and shortening into dry
mixture until pea sized crumbs are formed. Add ice water and mix until
dough comes together. Use up to 1 TBSP additional water if needed.
Roll
out dough between 2 pieces parchment or plastic wrap and fix in greased
pie pan. If it falls apart here like mine did, that's OK! Just use slightly greased fingertips to patch it up and press it into place so there are no holes. Don't be scared to touch it. Get it the shape you're happy with, I made a little lip at the top to help seal the meringue. If you're brushing the crust, do that now! For pre-baked shell: bake for 15 minutes at 425°, then turn
down oven to 375° and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes or until
brown. You will probably have enough crust for a second pie or another project. I did a chicken pot pie with the rest.
Lemon Curd:
Enjoy! Our family has really dug into this one. It was my first attempt at a GF pie, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. it wasn't nice and chewy/flaky like my old southern butter and wheat flour crust, but it was a pleasant crumbly, almost cookie like crust that complimented the lemon flavors well. Now I'm far less intimidated by pie crusts!- 1/2 cup lemon juice, or 3 large lemons, juiced and zested
- 3/4 cup raw sugar
- 4 egg yolks, beaten (save the whites!)
- 2 TBS Pamela's GF Artisan Flour Blend
- 3 TBS Rapunzel brand Cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Cups water
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- To make lemon curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot lemon mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
- To make meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.
- (optional) brown meringue additionally with brulee torch, for fun, and because fire. Let it cool!!
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