Thursday, May 30, 2013

Grain-free Strawberry Pie


Strawberry Pie has always been a staple for my family in the month of May. All three of my siblings and my dad's birthdays are in this month and strawberry pie has been the ideal celebration dessert.  My mom loves to tell everyone how I, whose birthday is in the lovely month of January, would always want to have strawberry pie for my birthday, but never could because strawberries were not in season.  I was always devastated. Anyways, the BBQ birthday celebration came and went this last week and I embarked on a mission to create a grain-free, refined sugar-free, and possibly dairy-free {minus the whip cream} strawberry pie. It is my pleasure to share my results with you!

Strawberry Pie

Grain-free Crust
Makes 1 pie crust

Ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, butter, honey, and an egg

First, slice up a stick of butter {1/2 cup} into 1/2 inch cubes. Place 1/2 in the fridge and the other 1/2 in the freezer.

In a Cuisinart {food processor} mix together:
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour

Pulse until crumbly/do not over mix:
• the butter that was in the fridge

Whisk together and then add to above by pulsing only a few times:
• 1 small egg
• 1 Tbsp honey {you may want to heat of the honey slightly to allow it to be whisked}

Lastly, add the butter in the freezer and pulse a few times.

Roll into a ball, cover with saran wrap, and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.  Then roll out on the counter with coconut flour.  May help to roll out in between two pieces of parchment paper.

Place in pie tin. Poke the bottom with a fork to prevent bubbles.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-13 minutes. Watch carefully after 10 minutes to make sure it does not burn. 

Let cool. 

Then make the strawberry filling. Recipe is below.


Strawberry Filling

Ingredients: fresh strawberries, maple syrup, honey, stevia, 
and lemon juice

Place in a blender
• 1 1/2 cup fresh or defrosted frozen strawberries
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

Blend on low until well blended.

Strain into a pan.

Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil. Then drop to a simmer for 8 minutes.

Whisk into above:
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut flour to thicken the glaze

Add to taste:
• a few drops of stevia or other sweetener of choice

Remove from heat. When glaze is lukewarm or cooler toss with fresh strawberries. I used 5 cartons worth, so I'm thinking approximately 7-8 cups. Place strawberries in the fridge to allow to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Then scoop the strawberries into your pie crust.

Let pie set in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors meld together.

Optional: Add whipped cream {I made my own with maple syrup and vanilla extract} or make coconut cream for a Paleo alternative {Please let me know if you have a good recipe!}

Then enjoy! Share w/ family and friends or I wouldn't blame you if you keep this deliciousness for yourself :)